Declaringgodsword Derekprince 140731212548 Phpapp01

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James
Version, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. Scripture quotations marked (kjv) are taken from the King James Version of the
Holy Bible. Scripture quotations marked (niv) are from the Holy Bible, New International
Version , niv, 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (nasb) are taken
from the updated New American Standard Bible , nasb , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,
1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission
(www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked (phillips) are from The New
Testament in Modern English, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1972 by J. B. Phillips,
and 1947, 1952, 1955, 1957, by The Macmillan Company.
Publishers note:
Th is devotional was compiled from the extensive archive of Derek Princes
published and recorded materials and has been approved by the
Derek Prince Ministries editorial team.
DeClaring Gods Word: A 365-Day Devotional

Derek Prince Ministries
P.O. Box 19501
Charlotte, North Carolina 28219-9501
www.derekprince.org
ISBN: 978-1-60374-067-8
Printed in the United States of America
2008 by Derek Prince MinistriesInternational
Whitaker House
1030 Hunt Valley Circle
New Kensington, PA 15068
www.whitakerhouse.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Prince, Derek.
Declaring Gods word : a 365-day devotional / by Derek Prince.
p. cm.
Summary: Provides believers with a full year of daily devotions on the
implications of Christs death and resurrection, including freedom from sin
and adoption as Gods children, and scriptural declarations to build faith
Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-60374-067-8 (trade pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Devotional calendars. I.
Title.
BV4811.P76 2008
242.2dc22
2008035501
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanicalincluding photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval systemwithout permission in writing from the publisher. Please
direct your inquiries to [email protected].
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 0 9 0 8
The believers overcame Satan by the blood of Jesus

Christ, and they testified to what the Word of God
says the blood of Jesus does for us.
Derek Prince paraphrase of Revelation 12:11
Introduction to
Declaring Gods Word:
A 365-Day Devotional
s president of Derek Prince MinistriesUSA, I am excited to bring

you this unique book by renowned Bible scholar Derek Prince,
Declaring Gods Word: A 365-Day Devotional. I believe it has the potential to change not only your life, but the world, as well.
I realize that is a sweeping statementone that might seem to
oversell the book. However, I stand by the statement, and heres
why. This book is far more than your ordinary devotional.
Like you, I enjoy a variety of devotionals written by great men
and women of God. Similar to this book, those works consist of daily
entries with a brief insight into a passage from Gods Word, followed
by a prayer designed to inspire the reader for that day. Thats where
the similarity ends.
One additional component makes this book powerfully unique.
That component is proclamationDeclaring Gods Word, as the title
states. Proclamation turns this book into a powerful tool in your
handsactually, a weapon of spiritual warfare. Your proclamation
Introduction
will represent a daily declaration of war on the kingdom of Satan

and a daily announcement of your intention to stand with the King
of kings. But thats only a part of it.
The most exciting thought of all is that you will join with thousands of Christians all over the world in reading this book, declaring the same proclamations, and praying the same prayerson the
very same day, maybe even simultaneously. Take a moment to think
about how powerful that will be! The impact of this corporate action
will have positive spiritual implications far beyond what we can
imagine.
In a teaching on the release of authority when Gods Word is
spoken by believers, Derek quoted Jeremiah 1:9Behold, I have
put My words in your mouththen made this bold claim: when we
declare the Word that God puts in our mouths, our proclamation
carries as much authority as if God Himself were declaring it. That
is the unique power and authority set in motion through Declaring
Gods Word.
Derek Prince was a man of prayer and proclamationand
He was practical. He always gave his listeners the opportunity to
respond. This book is no different.
Each day, you will have the chance to response to the daily
teaching, which begins with a proclamation Derek originated. (At
the start of most of Dereks teachings on CD, you will hear Derek
and his wife begin in unison with a proclamation of a particular
Scripture passage or scriptural thought. In this devotional, each
entry begins the same way.)
Each days teaching is pure Derek, in his exact words. Though
Derek is no longer with us on earth, his powerful teaching remains,
and, as Hebrews 11:4 says that through faith, though he is dead, he
still speaks (nasb). How we thank the Lord for the legacy of teaching
Derek has left for us.
6
Declaring Gods Word
The section that follows the teaching summarizes what Derek

has taught with a prayer and proclamation related to the days topic.
You will notice that each prayer begins with an expression of thanks
to God. Along with Dereks amazing teaching gift, one of the traits
I admired most about him was his constant attitude of thanksgiving. I remember that at many teaching sessions, Derek would close
his message by asking the audience to wait upon the Lord in silence.
During those moments, it was very common to hear Derek uttering
over and over again, Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Jesus. Oh, we
thank You, Lord.
Rather than assuming you would naturally pray and proclaim
on your own, we have provided specific responses as a help to you.
Here is where you will experience the unique individual and corporate power that comes from declaring the same prayer and proclamation with other people on the same day.
Each entry ends with a repetition of the same proclamation
that appears under the title of the entry at the top of the page. Thats
no mistake. Repetition is a common yet powerful biblical principle,
as well as a means of affirming the truth of Gods Word. An excellent
scriptural example of the usefulness of repetition is found in Psalm
124:12: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel
now say [in other words, Lets have everyone repeat this together],
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side. For additional New
Testament reminders by repetition, see Philippians 3:1, Hebrews
2:1, and 2 Peter 1:1215.
May Declaring Gods Word be a daily source of spiritual power and
growth for you. May its teachings establish a foundation of truth in
your life, making you increasingly unshakable in these increasingly
shaky modern times. May you grow in faith as you absorb Dereks
teachings, proclaim the truth of Gods Word, and pray to your Father
in heaven, confident that you are joining with Christians everywhere, powerfully declaring Gods Word and advancing His gospel.
Introduction
And lastly, may this book fulfill the prayer Jesus Himself taught us:
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew
6:10 kjv).
Dick Leggatt,
President of Derek Prince MinistriesUSA
Week 1:
I testify to Satan personally as to what the
Word says the blood of Jesus does for me.
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.
Revelation 12:11
January 1
Knowing the Word

I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word says
the blood of Jesus does for me.
believe the Lord showed me through an insight into Scripture how

we can overcome Satan. Most Christians know that we are to overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.
But many tend to make it a kind of repetitive phrase: I plead the
bloodI plead the blood. I dont want to discount the value of that
practice, but I have observed that sometimes it does not impress the
devil. I think we have to apply it more purposefully.
How do we overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by
the word of our testimony? Three elements are involved: the blood,
the Word of God, and our testimony. And this is how I interpret
the application of Revelation 12:11: We overcome Satan when we
testify personally as to what the Word says the blood of Jesus does
for us.
It is very clear that if we are going to testify to what the Word
says the blood does for us, we will have to know what the Word says
the blood does. Over the next several weeks, we will be looking at
what the Word of God says the blood of Jesus accomplishes for us.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. Because of what the Word
says, I proclaim that I have overcome Satan by testifying to what the
blood of Jesus has done for me. I testify to Satan personally as to
what the Word says the blood of Jesus does for me. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 4: The Sevenfold Power of the Blood (audio)
The Roman Pilgrimage, Vol. 1: Romans 1:11:17 (audio, video)
10
Declaring Gods Word
January 2
Applying the Blood

n looking at this confession, we can see that we have to know what

the blood of Jesus does for us. Then, we have to take it from the
blood bank and get it into our lives. There is a parallel for this application in the Passover ceremony, which was Gods provision of deliverance and salvation for Israel. (See Exodus 12:2127.) The father of
each family had to kill a lamb (the sacrifice) and catch its blood in a
basin. This act demonstrates the tremendous responsibility of fathers
to be priests of their families.
The blood in the basin, however, did not protect any Israelite
family; it had to be transferred from the basin to where the family
lived. Only one means was provided, and that was hyssop. This plant
is common in the Middle East; it grows everywhere there. So they had
to pick a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood, and strike it on the lintel
and two doorposts of their dwelling, but never on the threshold. You
are never to walk over the blood.
With that done, the destroying angel could not enter the dwelling. But only those Israelites who were in their homes, safe behind
the blood, were protected. That was the only place of safety in Egypt
that night.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I am

protected from the adversary by applying the blood to myself and
my family. I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word says the
blood of Jesus does for me. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 4: How to Appropriate the Blood (audio)
January
11
January 3
Walking in Obedience
n the Passover ceremony, the blood of lambs was collected in basins.

Once the blood was transferred from the basins to the Israelites
dwelling places, they were safe, on one condition: they had to stay
inside their houses.
This truth is very important: the blood protects only the obedient. You are safe while you obey. Lets look at 1 Peter 1:2. Peter was
greeting the pilgrims of the Dispersion [in Greek, diaspora] (verse 1).
He was specifically addressing the Jews outside the land of Israel,
who were elect [or chosen] according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ.
Notice that obedience comes before sprinkling. The blood is not
sprinkled on the disobedient. The blood does not protect those who
go out of the house. It protects only those who are behind the blood
or covered by it. So, bear in mind, although there is perfect protection
in the blood, it is for the obedient alone.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim this day that I
will walk in obedience to You. I testify to Satan personally as to what
the Word says the blood of Jesus does for me. Amen.
12
Declaring Gods Word
January 4
Eliminating Sin
ooking once again at the Passover ceremony for Israel, we find one
burning question for our application today: How do we get the
shed bloodafter the sacrifice is completeto the places where we
live? As long as the blood remains in the basin, it is not doing any
good. It is available, but it does nothing. The Israelites had to take
this simple plant called hyssop, dip it in the blood, and strike it on the
outside of their houses on the doorposts and above the doors. Only
then were they protected. Yet in the Passover ceremony, something
else preceded the application of the blood.
Lets look at 1 Corinthians, where Paul applied the teaching of
the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Christians. Every
Jewish family had to eliminate everything that was leavened from
their house for seven days. The Orthodox Jews still observe this practice today.
Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump,
since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover,
was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old
leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:78)
We, too, must purge the old leavensinfrom our lives in order
to live in obedience to God. This enables the blood to protect every
area of our lives.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that as I apply it
to my life, I am purging any sin that may be present in me. I testify to
Satan personally as to what the Word says the blood of Jesus does
for me. Amen.
January
13
January 5
Relying on the Lamb

n 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul connected the Passover of the Old Testament with the crucifixion of Jesus:
For indeed Christ [the Messiah], our Passover, was sacrificed for
us.
There is a very clear application of the Passover to the sacrifice

of Jesus on the cross. We can say that the Passover Lamb was killed
almost twenty centuries ago, and His blood is in the basin. His blood
has been shed, but the blood cannot protect us while it remains in
the basin. We have to transfer the blood from the basin to the places
where we live.
Under the old covenant, hyssop was used, but what do we use
under the new covenant? The answer is our testimonies. Our personal testimonies take the blood out of the basin and apply it to our
housesto our lives, our situations, and our families. We overcome
Satan when we testify personally to what the Word says the blood of
Jesus does for us.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that Jesus was
sacrificed for me, and I rely on His blood to make me clean and free
from sin. I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word says the
14
Declaring Gods Word
January 6
A Complete Sacrifice
he most important day in the religious year of the Jewish people

was the Day of Atonement, known today as Yom Kippur. On that
day alone, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies with the blood
of the sacrifices that covered the sins of Israel for one more year.
He [the high priest] shall take some of the blood of the bull and
sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and
before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his
finger seven times.
(Leviticus 16:14)
The blood alone could offer propitiation for the sins of Gods
people, and it had to be brought into the presence of Almighty God
in the Holy of Holies. I want you to notice in particular that the blood
was sprinkled seven times. This frequency was no coincidence, for in
the Bible, seven is the number that indicates the work of the Holy
Spirit. Seven is also the number of completeness, or perfection. This
regulation was exactly fulfilled in the way that Jesus shed His blood.
His blood was shed precisely seven times before the sacrifice was
complete.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that His
complete work on the cross has taken away my sins. I testify to Satan
personally as to what the Word says the blood of Jesus does for me.
Amen.
Extravagant Love (audio)
January
15
January 7
The Measure of His Love

n the Day of Atonement, the blood of the sacrifices had to be

sprinkled seven times before God the Father. (See Leviticus
16:14.) We see this regulation exactly fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus
on the cross in the New Testament.
First, His sweat became blood. Second, the Roman soldiers struck
Him in the face with their fists and with rods. Third, they flogged
Him with a Roman scourge. Fourth, His beard was pulled out. Fifth,
thorns were pressed deep into His scalp. Sixth, His hands and feet
were pierced with nails. Seventh, His side was pierced with a spear.
That is the measure of Christs love. It cost Him literally all He
had. He did not simply give up His glory, His throne, and His majesty
as God. He did not simply give up His few earthly possessions as a
man on earth. He gave up Himself. It was His own life that He poured
out in His blood as the redemptive price. Think about that staggering
reality and know that it is the measure of Gods love. It is extravagant,
to say the least.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that He gave
all He hadpoured out His life completelyso that I may be free
from sin. I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word says the
Extravagant Love (audio)
16
Declaring Gods Word
Week 2:
Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed
out of the hand of the devil.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has
redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
Psalm 107:2
January 8
True Believers
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed
from the hand of the enemy. (Psalm 107:2, emphasis added)
his statement of Scripture is one that concerns what the blood of

Jesus does for us as believers. Let us also look at this verse in Ephesians:
In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

(Ephesians 1:7)
Notice, first of all, that to receive these benefits, we have to be in

Christ. We have to be true believers in Christ. When we are in Christ,
the first thing that we gain is redemption through His blood.
To redeem means to buy back, or to pay a ransom price. We
were formerly in the hands of the devil and we belonged to him. But
Jesus paid the ransom price of His blood on the cross to buy us back.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that through His
blood, I have been ransomedbought backand am a true believer
in Christ. Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand
of the devil. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict, Vol. 3: Gods People Triumphant: Spiritual WeaponsThe Blood, The Word,
Our Testimony (audio)
18
Declaring Gods Word
January 9
The Sinless Lamb

e were redeemed, or bought back, from our old, evil, ungodly

ways of living, from the grip of Satan, from the condemnation
of sin, and from being open to the attacks of the devourer and the
destroyer. But how were we bought back?
Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things,
like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as
of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Peter 1:1819)
We are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christwithout
blemish, without original sin; without spot, without personal sin
the sinless Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. It is only
through His blood that we are redeemed. There was no other amount
that could pay the price to purchase our redemption.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that Jesus, the
sinless Lamb of God, has taken away my sins. Through the blood of
Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the devil. Amen.
January
19
January 10
An Effective Transfer
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed
from the hand of the enemy.
(Psalm 107:2)
ome people may know that they were redeemed out of the hand
of the devil; others do not. But I know full well where I was before
Jesus came into my life; I have no doubt about it. I know what it is
like to be in the devils hand, and I never want to be there again. I
also know, by what Scripture says, that it was the blood of Jesus that
got me out of the hand of the devil and into the hand of the Good
Shepherd. Jesus said of His people, I give unto them eternal life; and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand
(John 10:28 kjv). That was the transfer from the devils hand to the
hand of the Lord.
But notice that this transfer is effective and able to benefit us
only when we do one thing: when we say so. Let the redeemed of the
Lord say so. If you are redeemed, say it! If you do not say it, your
redemption is not effective. It is the word of your testimony that
makes the blood effective.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I declare that by His blood,
I have been transferred from the enemys hand to the hand of the
Lord. Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of
the devil. Amen.
20
Declaring Gods Word
January 11
The Protection of the Almighty

salm 91 has been called the atomic age psalm. This is a psalm of
perfect protection from every kind of evil, danger, and harm
however it may come, by whatever means, and at whatever time.
Many Christians know this passage well. But lets just look at the first
two verses:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide
under the shadow of the Almighty.
(Psalm 91:1)
The word abide in Hebrew normally means to pass the night. It

is a word that is frequently used to describe the act of spending the
night. So, this tells us that during the hours of darkness, the true
believer will be under the shadow, or protection, of the Almighty.
Notice the second verse:
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God,
in Him I will trust.
(verse 2)
This is the antechamber, the entranceway, into the complete protection of the remaining verses of that psalm. It is your testimony: I
will say. If you do not say it, you will not have it. And it takes some
courage to say what follows in Psalm 91. But only those who say it
have the scriptural right to live in it. It is the word of our testimony
that makes it effective.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I declare that by His blood,
I now live under the protection of Almighty God. Through the blood
of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the devil. Amen.
January
21
January 12
Bought at a Price
he term redemption means to buy back. We were slaves, exposed

for sale in Satans slave market. The apostle Paul said, I am carnal,
sold under sin (Romans 7:14). In the Roman culture of his day, to sell
somebody as a slave was to sell him under a spear. He would stand on
a block with a spear extended out over his head. When you saw him
standing there like that, you knew that he was being sold as a slave.
Paul was saying in this statement, My sin is the spear over my
head, which has caused me to be sold as a slave in the slave market.
And there, too, were weall of us, sold with Paul as slaves because
of our sins.
But one day, Jesus walked into the market and said, Ill buy
them. Whats the price? The blood of Jesus. We were bought out of
Satans kingdom and brought into Gods kingdom.
A slave has no choice about the type of job that he or she will perform for his or her master. One slave may be a cook, another a prostituteit is the slave owners decision. That is how we were. Some may
have been respectable slaves, but they were no better than those who
were not so respectable. Do not despise prostitutes or alcoholics, for
it was the slave owners decision that made them what they are. Satan
decided what they would be, but Jesus blood breaks his hold and sets
them free from the devils designs.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I have been
bought out of Satans kingdom and brought into Gods kingdom.
Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the
devil. Amen.
The Good News of the Kingdom, Vol. 1: The Kingdom for All Nations (audio)
22
Declaring Gods Word
January 13
Made and Bought by Him

ere is a parable I told to a group of Polynesian Maoris, who are

great wood carvers, to illustrate the price Jesus paid to redeem
us from our sins.
There was once a boy who carved a beautiful little wooden sailboat. One day he took it down to the ocean to sail, but the wind
changed and carried his boat out to sea. Since he could not recover his
boat, he went home without it.
The next high tide brought the boat back again, and it was found
by a man walking along the seashore. He inspected the boat and saw
that it was beautifully made, so he sold it to a shopkeeper who cleaned
it up and put it in his window, priced to sell.
Some while later, the boy passed by the shop and saw his boat. He
knew immediately that it was his, but he had no way to prove it. So, if
he wanted it back, he knew he would have to buy it.
He set to work to earn the money by washing cars, mowing
lawns, and other tasks. When he finally raised the necessary funds,
he walked into the shop and bought back his boat. He took it in his
hands, and, holding it to his breast, said, Now youre mine! I made
you and I bought you.
Picture yourself as that boat. You may feel inadequate or worthless; you may wonder if God really cares. But the Lord is saying to you,
Now youre doubly MineI made you and I bought you; youre fully
Mine.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that the Lord made
me and bought me, and I am fully His. Through the blood of Jesus, I am
redeemed out of the hand of the devil. Amen.
January
23
January 14
Out of One Kingdominto Another

he Lord redeemed us so that we are no longer in the hand of the

enemy but in the Lords hand.
Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us
from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of
the Son of His love.
(Colossians 1:1213)
It is a fact that God has delivered us from the power of darknessthat is, Satans kingdomand conveyed us into the kingdom
of Christ. Thus, we have redemptionour sins are forgiven. We are no
longer in Satans territory, nor are we under his authority. The unbelieving, those who reject Christ, the rebellious, and the disobedient
are under Satans legitimate authority, but we Christians are not.
The fact is that when we repented and surrendered to Jesus
Christ and made Him Lord of our lives, we were conveyed (translated,
or carried over)spirit, soul, and bodyout of the kingdom of Satan
and into the kingdom of Christ. These are facts. We believe facts from
the invisible realm of Gods Word because we no longer go by our feelings. The shield of faith covers every area of our lives. No fiery dart
need ever get past it. (See Ephesians 6:16.)
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that by His
blood, I have been delivered from darkness and translated into the
kingdom of the Son of Gods love. Through the blood of Jesus, I am
redeemed out of the hand of the devil. Amen.
24
Declaring Gods Word
Week 3:
Through the blood of Jesus,
all my sins are forgiven.
In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7
January 15
Full Rights of Redemption

Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.
n Ephesians 1:7, we see this provision of the blood of Jesus:

In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
The forgiveness of our sins is purchased for us by the blood of

Jesus. Compare this verse with what Jesus said at the Last Supper
in Matthew 26:28 as He gave the disciples the cup, which was the
emblem of His blood:
For this is My blood of the new covenant [testament], which is
shed for many for the remission [forgiveness] of sins.

(Matthew 26:28)
Hebrews 9:22 says that without shedding of blood, there is no
remission of sin. So the blood of Jesus was shed that our sins might
be forgiven.
You will notice that in Ephesians 1:7, Paul made these two things
coextensive: redemption through the blood of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins. This is very important to understand because we have the
full legal rights of redemption only insofar as our sins are forgiven.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that because
all my sins are forgiven by His blood, I now have the full legal rights
of redemption. Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.
Amen.
26
Declaring Gods Word
January 16
Settling All Claims

f all our sins are forgiven, we have total rights of redemption. But if
there is any sin in our lives that is not confessedand is therefore
not forgivenwe do not have full legal rights of redemption in that
area. Satan still has a claim in that area. I have proved this many
times in the ministry of deliverance. If Satan has any claim, he will
not give it up. You can shout in his face or fast for a week, but you
will not change the situation because Satan knows that he has a legal
claim that still has not been settled.
Another common way in which believers give Satan a legal claim
in their lives is by failing to forgive others. Jesus taught us that we are
forgiven by God in the same measure in which we forgive others. We
are to pray, Forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we forgive our debtors
[those who trespasses against us] (Matthew 6:12). We are not entitled to claim forgiveness from God above the measure in which we
forgive others. (See verses 1415.) Therefore, if there are any people
we have not forgiven, in that measure, we are not forgiven by God. In
other words, any area of unforgiveness in our lives is an area to which
Satan still has legal claim. Do what you will; you cannot dislodge him
until you have forgiven whomever you need to forgive.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I am fully
forgiven, because I confess all my sins and now forgive those who have
hurt me (list specific names). Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins
are forgiven. Amen.
January
27
January 17
Two Directions of Forgiveness

orgiveness is one of the most beautiful words in any language. What

makes it such a special and beautiful word? Consider some of the
results that flow from forgiveness: reconciliation, peace, harmony,
understanding, fellowship. How our world today stands in such dire
need of these things!
In contrast, consider some of the consequences that flow from
our failure to give and receive forgiveness: bitterness, strife, disharmony, hatred, and war. At times, it seems as though the entire human
race is in danger of being overwhelmed by these evil, negative forces.
If we are ever to rise above these conditions, it will be only as we learn
and apply the principles of forgiveness.
There are two directions of forgiveness presented in the Bible.
These two directions are portrayed by that great symbol of our Christian faith: the cross. The cross has two beamsone vertical, one
horizontalthat represent the two directions of forgiveness. The
vertical beam represents the forgiveness that we all need to receive
from God and can be received only through our identification with
the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The horizontal beam
represents our relationships with our fellow men, and it speaks of the
forgiveness that, in this case, has two directions: the forgiveness we
need to receive from others, and the forgiveness we need to extend to
others. Once again, the only place where we can receive the grace for
that kind of forgiveness is the cross.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I not only
receive Gods forgiveness; I also open myself up to receive the
forgiveness of others, and I extend my forgiveness to them, as well.
Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven. Amen.
The Three Most Powerful Words (booklet)
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Declaring Gods Word
January 18
A Clean Slate
ne of the most wondrous aspects of Gods nature is that when

He forgives, He does so completely and in full. The book of Micah
states this truth beautifully:
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry
forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
(Micah 7:1819 niv)
Isnt that beautiful? Every wrong thing that we have ever done
everything that could ever make us feel guilty, every accusation that
the enemy could ever bring against usGod treads underfoot, then
hurls it into the depths of the sea.
Someone has remarked that when God casts your sins into the
sea, He puts up a notice that reads, No Fishing! Dont ever try to
go back and resurrect something that God has buried. If God has forgiven you, you are forgiven. There are no further questions. Gods forgiveness is total. In Isaiah, God speaks to His people,
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own
sake; and I will not remember your sins.
(Isaiah 43:25)
When God forgives us, He blots out the record of our sins; our
slates are clean. God does not have a poor memory, but He does have
the ability to choose to forget. And when He forgives, He forgets!
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that You have
forgiven me fully, blotting out the record of my sins. You have
forgotten them, and I will, as well. Through the blood of Jesus, all my
sins are forgiven. Amen.
January
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January 19
The Countless Blessings of Forgiveness

he type of forgiveness that we need, and can receive only from God
Himself, is the vertical aspect of forgiveness. There is such blessedness in being forgiven by God. This truth was articulated perhaps
most beautifully by David in Psalm 32:
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count
against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

(verses 12 niv)
In the Hebrew language, this psalm begins with a plural noun:
blessednesses. Oh, the blessednesses of the one whose transgressions
are forgiven, whose sins are covered. The implication is that there are
innumerable blessings attached to having our sins forgiven by God.
It is important to see that the Bible does not talk about a man
who does not need forgiveness. The Bible clearly indicates that all
of us need forgiveness from God; there are no exceptions. In other
psalms, David said that there is no man who does not sin. We have
all sinned. Therefore, we all need forgiveness. It is not a question of
whether we need forgiveness but whether we receive it.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I need Your
forgiveness, and that as You forgive me, You bring great blessing to
me, as well. Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.
Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
January 20
Acknowledging Our Sin

n Psalm 32, King David wrote out of his own personal experience:
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning
all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my
strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I
will confess my transgressions to the Lordand you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
(verses 35 niv)
I believe that when David wrote this, he had in mind the matter
of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. It was a terrible situation
in which David had committed adultery, then committed murder to
cover up his adultery. David obviously had been like many of us. For
a long while, he had refused to face the fact of his sin. He tried to
ignore it.
In the next verses, David makes a personal application:
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be
found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach
him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance. (verses 67 niv)
It is never too late to confess our sins to God and seek refuge in
His salvation. He will deliver us from our sins if well only acknowledge them and repent.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that because I
readily confess any sin that I may have tried to hide, You have forgiven
the guilt of my sin. You protect me from trouble and surround me
with deliverance. Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.
Amen.
January
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January 21
Testifying Personally
In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

(Ephesians 1:7)
ooking at this statement from the Word of God about the blood of
Jesus, I will show you how to apply it with the hyssop of your personal testimony to your own life situation and need.
This verse tells us two things that we have through the blood of
Jesus when we are in Christ. Remember, if we are outside of Christ,
it does not avail. During the first Passover in Egypt, the blood did
not protect those who were not inside their houses. It was only inside
their houses that the Israelites were protected, and it is only inside
Christ that we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.
I know the above verse by heart. If I stood upside down in a corner of a dark room on a dark night, I could quote this Scripture without the least problem. I live by this Scripture. I keep my hyssop in my
hand. Believe me, not many days pass that I am not using the hyssop
in my own life. I have discovered it does the job.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I apply it with the hyssop
of my personal testimony, proclaiming that by His blood, I have
redemption and forgiveness of sins. Through the blood of Jesus, all
my sins are forgiven. Amen.
Praying to Change History: Gods Atomic Weapon: The Blood of Jesus (audio)
32
Declaring Gods Word
Week 4:
The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son,
continually cleanses me from all sin.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of
Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
January 22
A Continuing Process
ne provision of the precious blood of Jesus is cleansing.
But if we walk in the light as He [Jesus] is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin.
(1 John 1:7)
In this verse, there are three verbs in the continuing present
tense: walk, fellowship, and cleanse. We must take note of that. If we
continue walking in the light, we continue having fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us.
It is very important to see that this is conditional. If we continue
to walk in the light of Gods Word by obeying what it says, then the
first result is that we have fellowship with one another. If we are not
walking in the light, we will not have fellowship. And if we do not
have fellowship, we are not walking in the light. But, if we walk in the
light and have fellowship, then the blood of Jesus continually keeps
us clean.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I continue
to walk in the light, have fellowship with other believers, and receive
cleansing from sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son, continually
cleanses me from all sin. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
January 23
Cleansing Here and Now

y personal testimony based on the statement above would be,

While I am walking in the light, the blood of Jesus is cleansing
me, now and continually, from all sin. I say it is cleansing me now
because that makes it a here-and-now statement, not just a vague
generalization. It is for me in the here and now, but it is also continualindefinitely into the future.
The Swahili language of East Africa has a special tense to describe
things that are complete and permanent. In that well-known song,
The Blood of Jesus Cleanses Us from All Sin, they sing, The blood of
Jesus completely cleanses us absolutely. These lyrics have stuck with
me because they say it so perfectly. So, consider this confession in the
light of something that is continual and complete.
There is a beautiful commentary on this truth in Psalm 51, which
is the great penitent psalm David penned after he was convicted of his
sins of adultery and murder. It is one of the most beautiful psalmsa
psalm every one of us would do well to read from time to time, making it our own prayer. I believe in making the psalms my prayers; I
dont just read them, but I read them as my prayers.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). You will notice that David introduces
the hyssop. The implication is that hyssop is the substance that brings
the blood to where I am. It is a beautiful, prophetic preview of being
cleansed with the blood of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that His blood
is cleansing me, now and continually, from all sin. The blood of Jesus
Christ, Gods Son, continually cleanses me from all sin. Amen.
January
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January 24
Fulfilling the Conditions

ets look more closely at the statement about the blood that is found
in 1 John 1:7: But if we walk in the light as He [Jesus] is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
We have already seen how these three elements are interrelated
and bound together in the Word of God: walking in the light, fellowship
with one another, and the cleansing of the blood. Scores of people claim
the cleansing and protection of the blood but do not meet the conditions that entitle them to receive it. Cleansing by the blood of Jesus
Christ is a consequence that follows from something that is preceded
by an ifit is a conditional statement, contingent upon our fulfilling a premiseif we walk in the light as He is in the light. Then, two
results follownot one, but two. The cleansing of the blood is the second result; the first result is that we have fellowship with one another.
Logically, if we are not in fellowship with one another, it is proof
that we are not walking in the light. If we are not walking in the light,
it logically follows that we cannot claim the cleansing of the blood
of Jesus. So, we come to this conclusion: if we are out of fellowship,
we are out of the light. If we are out of the light, the blood no longer
cleanses us. The blood of Jesus cleanses only in the light. This is one
of the most important principles we can understand.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim my wholehearted

intention to walk in the light, as Jesus is in the light, and to enter fully
into fellowship and cleansing from sin. The blood of Jesus Christ,
Gods Son, continually cleanses me from all sin. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
January 25
Bringing Sin to the Light

ellowship is the place of light. This is why fellowship is a place of

testing. The closer the fellowship, the brighter the light, until you
come to the place where there are no hidden corners. There are no
shadows; nothing is swept under the rug, nothing is covered up. It
can be a frightening place for the natural man. But it is the only place
where the blood of Jesus fully fulfills its function of cleansing. If you
desire cleansing, it comes in the light. If you are in any way wrong
before God, or wrong with your neighbor, you are not fully in the
light. And the blood will never be applied except in the light.
What do you have to do? Come to the light. What is coming to
the light? Confessing your sins, acknowledging them openly before
God. Now, that is the hardest thing for natural man to do. The light
seems so bright. You may think, Oh, I couldnt bring that terrible thing,
that awful memory, that guilty secret; I couldnt expose it to the light. The
natural man shrinks from it. But the truth is that when it gets to the
light, it disappears because, then, the blood cleanses it. But if you do
not bring it to the light, you keep it. This is a tremendous principle.
The blood operates only in the light.
Supposing that we have met the condition of walking in the light.
If this is the case, then we are in fellowship with our fellow believers,
and we have the right to make this our testimony.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim now that I bring
to the light any awful memories or hidden sins (state them here), and I
expose them to the light of Jesus and the cleansing of His blood. The
blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son, continually cleanses me from all sin.
Amen.
January
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January 26
Obedience and Truth

ellowship is the first test of whether we are walking in the light. If

we are not enjoying fellowship with our fellow believers and with
the Lord, then we are not in the light, and if we are not in the light,
the blood of Jesus does not cleanse us.
The next question, then, concerns how we walk in the light. The
first condition is that we must walk in obedience to the Word of God.
Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my
path. The second requirement is summed up by Paul in Ephesians
4:15, where he wrote, Speaking the truth in love, may [we] grow up in all
things into Him who is the head; Christ.
In this passage, walking in the light is defined as relating to our
fellow believers in truth and in love. We must be willing to act in truth
in our relationships with one another, but we have to do so in love.
Thus, walking in the light consists of two things put together:
walking in obedience to the Word of God and walking in truth and
love with our fellow believers. When we meet those conditions, then
we can say with full assurance that the blood of Jesus is cleansing us
from all sin.
Today we are very conscious of the physical pollution of the atmosphere around us, but the spiritual atmosphere is also polluted by sin,
corruption, and ungodliness. In order to be kept clean, we need the
continual cleansing of the blood of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I am cleansed by
His blood, because I have set my face to walk in obedience to His Word
and in right relationship with others. The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son,
continually cleanses me from all sin. Amen.
38
Declaring Gods Word
January 27
The Blood Speaks

here is another precious provision made for us by the blood of

Jesus, one of which many Christians are not aware. Hebrews 12:22,
24 reads, You [all true believers] have come to Mount Zionto the blood
of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
In the heavenly Mount Zion, the blood of Jesus was sprinkled
on our behalf in the Holy of Holies before the very presence of God.
Christ entered this place as our forerunner, having obtained our eternal redemption through His sacrifice, and He sprinkled the evidence
of that redemption in the very presence of Almighty God the Father.
We should notice an important contrast here. Early in history,
Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, murdered his brother, Abel. Cain
then tried to deny responsibility, but the Lord challenged him and
said, There is no way you can conceal your guilt, because the blood of
your brother that you shed on the earth is crying out to Me for vengeance. (See Genesis 4:115.) In contrast, the blood of Jesus sprinkled in heaven cries out not for vengeance but for mercy. The blood is
a continual plea in the very presence of God for His mercy.
Once we have testified personally to the power of the blood
of Jesus, we do not have to repeat those words every few minutes,
because the blood of Jesus is speaking all the time on our behalf in
the very presence of God. Every time we are troubled, tempted, fearful, or anxious, we should remind ourselves, The blood of Jesus is speaking in Gods presence on my behalf at this very moment.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that His blood
is speaking for mercy in Gods presence on my behalf right now. The
blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son, continually cleanses me from all sin.
Amen.
January
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January 28
Smooth Stones
he fact that a person has repented of his sins and claimed salvation in Christ does not mean that his whole character has been
instantly transformed. Certainly, a vitally important process of
change has been set in motion, but it may take many years for that
change to be worked out in every area of his character.
When David needed smooth stones to fit in his sling so that he
could slay Goliath, he went down to the valleythe lowly place of
humility. There in the brook he found the kind of stones he needed.
What had made them smooth? Two pressures: first, the water flowing
over them; second, their continual jostling against one another.
This is a picture of how Christian character is formed. First, there
is the continual washing of water by the Word (see Ephesians 5:26).
Second, as we jostle one another in personal relationships, our rough
edges are gradually worn down until they become smooth. We are living stones who need continual smoothing. (See 1 Peter 2:5.)
Let me add a side comment that when Jesus needs living stones
for His sling, He, too, goes to the valleythe place of humility. There,
He chooses stones that have been made smooth by the action of Gods
Word and by the pressures of regular fellowship with other believers.
It is a mark of spiritual maturity to sincerely love our fellow Christians, not simply for what they are in themselves, but for what they
mean to Jesus, who shed His lifeblood for each of them.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I submit
humbly to the washing of the Word and commit myself to love my
fellow Christians with sincerity. The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son,
continually cleanses me from all sin. Amen.
40
Declaring Gods Word
Week 5:
Through the blood of Jesus,
I am justified, made righteous,
just-as-if-Id never sinned.
Much more then, having now been justified by His
blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Romans 5:9
January 29
A Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous,
he word justification is a rather tiresome theological term whose

true meaning is often obscured. We will first look at the word, then
I will try to explain its meaning. The central theme of Romans is righteousness. Many centuries before, Job had asked the question, How
then can man be righteous before God? (Job 25:4). The book of Romans
presents Gods answer. If we are interested in righteousness, we will
be interested in Romans. Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). We can
hunger and thirst for healing or prosperity without being blessed. But
when we become hungry and thirsty for righteousness, then we will
be blessed.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall
be saved from wrath through Him.
(Romans 5:9)
Notice that we have been justified by His blood. In both the

Hebrew and Greek languages, there is one word that is translated as
either just or righteous. In Hebrew, the word is tsadaq, and in Greek,
it is dikaio. But no matter how it is translated, it is the same word. In
English, we tend to refer to just in terms of legality and law, but righteousness in terms of character and conduct. There is no such division in
the languages of the Bible. Having been justified by His blood means
the same thing as having been made righteous by His blood.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim my desire to

hunger and thirst for righteousness and justification by His blood.
just-as-if-Id never sinned. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
January 30
What Justification Means

(Romans 5:9)
he word translated justified has a whole slew of related meanings.

First, it has a legal meaning. Legally speaking, it means that we
are acquitted, absolved of all wrongdoing. We were on trial, but we
were acquitted. That is very good news. Think of what a person being
tried for murder might feel to find that he has been acquitted. Just
try to imagine it. We also should feel that happy.
Second, we are not guilty.
Third, we are reckoned righteous.
Many people stop there. But I assure you that the full meaning
of the word is more than that. We are also made righteous. The blood
of Jesus not only causes us to be reckoned righteous, it actually makes
us righteous.
Then, we are justified. This means it is just-as-if-Id never
sinned. We have been made righteous with the righteousness of
Christ, which has no evil past and no shadow of guilt, and against
which Satan cannot accuse us. We are made righteous with the righteousness of Jesus. It is by Christs righteousness that we are justified.
There is no guilt, no problem with the past. It has all been erased.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that through
His blood, I am justified, made righteous, just-as-if-Id never sinned.
Amen.
January
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January 31
Righteous and Just

(Romans 5:9)
henever we find the word just in the Bible, we can substitute

the word righteous. This is true in both Old Testament Hebrew
and New Testament Greek. The translators of the King James Version
alternately translated the same word as either righteous or just.
They tended to use the word just in the context of legal processes and
the word righteous in the context of practical living. But it is one and
the same word.
The problem comes with the use of the word justified, which is
often reserved for a type of legal transaction in the courts of heaven.
But this practice means using only half of the signification of the
word. To be justified means to be made just, or righteous. The word
righteous comes right down to where we liveour homes, workplaces,
or personal relationships. Just conveys a legal formality transacted in
a remote courtroom. Scripture says (and this is a perfectly legitimate
and correct translation) that we have been made righteous by the
blood of Jesus. We cannot consider ourselves justified if we have not
been made righteous. Justification is more than a legal ceremony or a
change of labels. It is a change of character and life, and it is produced
by the blood of Jesus. We have been made righteous with a righteousness that is not our ownthe righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that by His blood,
I have been made righteous with a righteousness not my own. Through
the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous, just-as-if-Id never
sinned. Amen.
44
Declaring Gods Word
February 1
Justified Freely
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His
blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness.

(Romans 3:2425)
am glad the word freely is included in this passage. The problem

with religious people is that they are always trying to earn redemption and they never arrive. They are never satisfied and never relaxed
because they think they have to do just a little bit more to be made
righteous. It never will work.
We are justified only through faith in the blood of Jesus. Lets
look at Romans 4:4: Now to him who works [the religious person], the
wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Many people think that if they have always lived rightly and
done their duty, God owes them righteousness or justificationthat
it is a debt theyre due. But in actual fact, God doesnt owe anything
to anybody. Notice verse 5: But to him who does not work but believes on
Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
The first thing we have to do is stop trying to make ourselves
righteous. Stop trying to be a little better. Call a halt to all that. What
we need to do is just believe. It is that simple. Otherwise, we will never
make it.
justified freely by His grace. I believe on Him who justifies me, and
my faith is counted as righteousness. Through the blood of Jesus, I am
justified, made righteous, just-as-if-Id never sinned. Amen.
February
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February 2
Boldness by Righteousness
od makes unrighteous people righteous. Scripture says it, and I

believe it. Lets look at one simple verse that affirms this truth:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
In this verse, I like to insert names in place of the pronouns: For
God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for you and me, that
we might become the righteousness of God in Jesus. There is a complete exchange: Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness so that we
might be made righteous with His righteousness. This righteousness
is available through faith in His blood.
Righteousness produces certain immediate and definite observable results. Lets look at one of those results as stated in Scripture.
Actually, our ways of living, our attitudes, our relationships, and the
effectiveness of our Christian lives and acts of service will depend
on how far we realize that we have been made righteous. We read in
Proverbs 28:1, The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous
are bold as a lion.
Many Christians today lack boldness. They are timid and apologetic; they tend to back down when confronted with evil or with the
devil. The real root cause is their failure to appreciate the fact that
they are righteous in Gods sightas righteous as Jesus Christ Himself. When we appreciate that truth, it makes us bold.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I have been made
righteous with His righteousness, and I step by faith into the boldness that this
realization brings. Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous,
just-as-if-Id never sinned. Amen.
46
Declaring Gods Word
February 3
Peace and Assurance

n the book of Isaiah, we read about another result of righteousness in

the Christian life: The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect
of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever (Isaiah 32:17).
Three products of righteousness are given in that verse: peace,
quietness, and assurance. They all come from the realization that we
have been made righteous with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Another result is described in Romans 14:17: For the kingdom of
God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit.
Yesterdays reading showed us that righteousness brings boldness;
today, we add to that peace, quietness, assurance, and joy. All these
things are products of righteousness. If we do not receive Christs righteousness by faith, we will struggle and try to attain all these other
characteristics without ever achieving them. It is pathetic to see Christians trying to be joyful or peaceful, or trying to be relaxed or assured.
Someone has told them they ought to be. But it is my experience that
when they really get the assurance of sins forgiveness and righteousness by faith, they will find it just happens. Joy flows naturally. Peace
comes without effort. Assurance is present. Boldness expresses itself.
The root problem is getting people to realize that they have been made
righteous with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
made righteous with His righteousness, and I step by faith into the
peace, assurance, and joy that this realization brings. Through the blood
of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous, just-as-if-Id never sinned.
Amen.
February
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February 4
A Good Confession
eligious people think they are pretty holy if they point out how
sinful they are. The general attitude is that we would be conceited
if we claimed to be righteous, that we would be religious if we kept
speaking about our failures, our inconsistencies, and the wrongs
weve committed.
Every Sunday morning in the church where I was brought up,
we had to say, Pardon us, miserable offenders. I always felt that I
didnt want to be a miserable offender, but when I looked at the other
offenders, I could surely agree that we were all miserable. Eventually,
I said to myself, If all religion can do is make me miserable, I can be an
offender without religion and not be half as miserable. And that is what I
became until I met the Lord.
The language of religion continually states, We are miserable
offenders; we have erred and strayed from Gods ways like lost sheep;
we have committed the things we ought not to have done and we have
left undone the things we ought to have done.
I could not say those words now; I would be a hypocrite. How
could I pray for victory over sin on a Monday morning if I knew that
the following Sunday I would be saying that I had erred and strayed,
that I had done those things I should not have done and left undone
those things I should have done? It would completely undermine the
basis of my faith. Yet it sounds so good, so pious.
Lets make our confession in line with Gods Word and believe it:
Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous, just-asif-Id never sinned.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I bring my confession into line with
Gods Word and proclaim: Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made
righteous, just-as-if-Id never sinned. Amen.
48
Declaring Gods Word
Week 6:
Through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified,
made holy, set apart to God.
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the
people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Hebrews 13:12
February 5
What Sanctification Means

Through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made holy,
set apart to God.
anctification is another one of these long, theological words. Lets

break it down. To sanctify is directly related in the original biblical
languages to the word for holy. So, to sanctify means to make
holy. The English word sanctify is related to the word saint. Sanctification is the process of making something saintly, or holy.
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His
own blood, suffered outside the gate.
(Hebrews 13:12)
Jesus went outside the city as a sin offering. (See, for example,
John 19:1620.) We learn from the Old Testament that sin offerings
could not be offered within the compound of Gods people. (See, for
example, Exodus 29:14.) Sanctification always includes separation.
To make ourselves holy, we must offer the right testimony:
Through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made holy, set apart to
God, separated from all that is evil. Between all evil and me is the
blood of Jesus.
The one who is sanctified is in an area where God has access to
him, but the devil does not. To be sanctified is to be removed from the
area of Satans visitation and reach and to be placed in an area where
we are available to God, but not at home when the devil calls. That is
what it is to be sanctified, made holy, set apart to God.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that through the
blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made holy, set apart to God. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
February 6
Respect for the Blood

set apart to God.
n looking at the sanctifying power of the blood of Jesus, we want to

examine a passage from Hebrews that speaks about the apostate
the person who turns away from the Christian faith, having known
it, into a deliberate denial and rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It
speaks about all the sacred things that he renounces and, in a sense,
defiles:
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be
thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot,
counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a
common [or unholy] thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

(Hebrews 10:29)
It is plain to see from this verse that we are sanctified by the

blood of the covenant. But here is a person who has been sanctified by
the blood of the New Covenant and then turns back. Lets look closely
at the meaning of trampling underfoot the blood of Jesus. This reference is in relation to the Passover ceremony, where the blood was
applied to the lintel and the doorposts, but never to the threshold. We
are never to show disrespect for the blood of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim my profound

respect for the blood of the covenant, through which I am sanctified,
made holy, set apart to God. Amen.
February
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February 7
A Total Transfer
set apart to God.
ust like righteousness, sanctification does not come by effort or by

religion, but only by faith in the blood of Jesus. To be sanctified
is to be set apart to God. We now belong to God; we are under Gods
control and available to Him. Anything that is not of God has no right
to approach us; it is kept away by the blood.
Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us
from the power [or authority] of darkness and conveyed us into
the kingdom of the Son of His love.
(Colossians 1:1213)
Through faith in the blood of Jesus, we have been removed from

the area of Satans authority and conveyed into the kingdom of God.
The word conveyed [translated kjv] means carried over from one
place to another. In Scripture, the word is used for a total transfer. In
the Old Testament, there were two men, Enoch and Elijah, who were
translated from earth to heaven. And both of them went entirely. All
that Elijah left behind was his mantle, but his body was gone.
As I understand Scripture, this is true for us, too. We have been
totally translated. We arent going to be translated; rather, we have
beenspirit, soul, and body. We are no longer in the devils territory,
no longer under the devils laws. We are in the territory of the Son of
God and under His laws.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I have been made
holy by faith in the blood of Jesus, transferred totally from the devils territory
into the territory of the Son of God. Through the blood of Jesus, I am
sanctified, made holy, set apart to God. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
February 8
Bought Back Totally

set apart to God.
n Romans, we read about two kingdoms with their opposing laws

of operation. The devils law is the law of sin and death; the law of
Gods kingdom is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin
and death (Romans 8:2).
We are no longer in the devils territory, no longer under the devils law. His kingdom does not apply to us because we are in another
kingdom. We have been translated, carried overspirit, soul, and
body. And this transaction occurs through the blood of Jesuswe
are sanctified, set apart to God, by the blood of Jesus.
Now, lets consider the implications in relation to the body of the
believer. I can say by experience that this is where it really begins to
operate, when we bring it down to the realm of our physical bodies.
Consider this: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your
own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and
in your spirit, which are Gods (1 Corinthians 6:1920).
The words bought at a price take us back to the theme of redemption. We are bought back out of the hand of the devil with the blood
of Jesus. How much of us was bought back? Just our spirits? No, both
our spirits and our bodies belong to God because Jesus paid the total
redemption price of His blood.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I have been bought
back totally from the devils kingdom and brought into the kingdom of
God. My spirit and body belong to God, because Jesus paid the total
redemption price of His precious blood. Through the blood of Jesus, I am
February
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February 9
His Plan to Make Us Holy

set apart to God.
e know that the word sanctify is related to the word saint, and
is directly related in the original biblical languages to the word
for holy. So, sanctification means being made holy. God has planned
for us to be made holy.
Holiness is a unique attribute among the attributes of God. God
has many wonderful attributeslove, power, wisdom, and so forth
but all those have a quality that we could say is remotely reflected
in human beings. We have experienced love from human beings. We
know of those who are powerful. We have met human beings who are
wise. Of course, these qualities appear in humans to a degree immeasurably less than they do in God, but at least we have an idea of what
these qualities are. But when we talk about holiness, there is nothing
else to compare it to. God is uniquely holy.
Holiness is something that is not found outside of God. Really, in
some ways you can measure how much you know God by how much
you know holiness. I relate it this way: We thank God for His goodness, we praise God for His greatness, but we worship God for His
holiness. Worship is the response to the holiness of God.
In the Old Testament, God said, You shall be holy; for I am holy
(Leviticus 11:44), and, in the New Testament, Peter restated the
Lords words, saying, Be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). Yet two
different ways of attaining holiness were being referred to. I will compare these two waysone by the old covenant, and the other by the
new covenantover the next few days.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that God is holy,
deserving of worshipand that through the blood of Jesus, I am
Holiness the Jesus Way (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
February 10
Not a Set of Rules

set apart to God.
et us look at the way holiness was to be attained under the old covenant. God said, You shall be holy; for I am holy (Leviticus 11:44). All
of Leviticus 11 enumerates complicated regulations regarding what to
eat, what to wear, and what makes one clean or unclean.
Gods requirement was to consecrate yourselves (Leviticus 11:44).
But you find out from this chapter that maintaining holiness was very
complicated. There was a series of the most involved regulations.
These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that
creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard;
the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard,
and the chameleon.Whoever touches them when they are dead
shall be unclean until evening.
(Leviticus 11:2931)
According to this regulation, for instance, if a mouse died and

someone picked it up by the tail, he would be unclean until that evening. But Scripture goes on to give further regulations about the container the mouse might fall in and the article of clothing it might
touch, then gives instructions on how to deal with the uncleanness.
Observing all of these regulations would be a full-time job.
God said that if you succeeded in following these rules, you would
be holy. But if you were going to attain holiness by keeping a set of
rules, you would have to keep all the rules all the time. You could not
omit one at any time. But thank God that He provided a better way
because keeping all these rules is impossible for sinful humans.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that Gods plan
is to make me holynot by observance of a set of rules, but through
the blood of Jesus, by which I am sanctified, made holy, set apart to
God. Amen.
February
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February 11
Holiness by Faith
set apart to God.
e can tell that revival is here when Gods people are more interested in being holy than being healed. Our standard of priority
is wrong. If I were to organize a healing meeting, people would come
streaming in, but if I were to teach about holiness, the attendance
would drop. In actual fact, holiness is much more important than
healing. Healing is temporary and will help you to get through this
life only. Thank God for it. But holiness is eternal; it will be with you
forever in heaven. Something has to happen by the power of the Holy
Spirit to change our sense of values.
So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His
grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance
among all those who are sanctified.
(Acts 20:32)
The inheritance is for those who have been sanctified. This passage says the Word of God can bring you into that inheritance. Yet
how is sanctification attained under Gods better way, the new covenant? Jesus commissioned Saul of Tarsus when He first revealed
Himself to Saul (who later became Paul). He said,
I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among
those who are sanctified by faith in Me.
(Acts 26:1718)
We can be sanctified by keeping all the rules of the Old Testamentif we keep them all the time. Again, this is impossible for sinful humans. The other way is completely differentnot by keeping a
set of rules, but by faith in Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim my faith in Jesus
Christ, affirming that through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made
holy, set apart to God. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 7:
My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
redeemed, cleansed, by the blood of Jesus.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from
God, and you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
February 12
The Indwelling Holy Spirit

My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed,
cleansed, by the blood of Jesus.
very distinctive mark of personality is the ability to speak. At

Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, He
spoke in other tongues (Acts 2:4) through the disciples. By this He
signified that He had come, as a Person, to take up His dwelling on
earth. He is now the permanent, personal representative of the Godhead residing on earth.
From Pentecost on, each time the Holy Spirit comes to take up
His residence as a Person in the body of a believer, it is appropriate
that He should manifest His presence by speaking out of that believer
in a new language that is supernaturally imparted. In effect, He is
saying, Now you know that I am here as a Person to indwell your
body.
For this reason, in 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul said, Do you not know
that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? He emphasized that
speaking in tongues is not merely a brief, supernatural experience;
beyond that, it is a divinely given sign that the Holy Spirit, as a Person, has taken up His dwelling in the believers body, thereby making
it a sacred temple. This truth places a solemn obligation upon each
believer to keep his body in a condition of holiness that is appropriate
for Gods temple.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus and the work of Your
Holy Spirit. I proclaim that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
redeemed, cleansed, by the blood of Jesus.
Who Is the Holy Spirit? (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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Declaring Gods Word
February 13
My Body: The Lords Temple

However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with
hands, as the prophet says: Heaven is My throne, and earth is
My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these
things?
(Acts 7:4850)
od dwells in a temple made not by hands but by divine workmanship, according to divine purpose. That temple is the body of the
believer, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. As Paul explained
in 1 Corinthians 6:13, Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods,
but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. This verse talks about
food for the stomach and the stomach for food. In Proverbs, it says,
The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul (Proverbs 13:25). We
who are righteous do not overeat. Why? Because our bodies are the
Lords temple, and we are not to defile them by gluttony, drunkenness, immorality, or any other form of misuse. The body is for the
Lord, and the Lord is for the body. When I present my body to the
Lord, then I have the rights of the Lord for my body.
Lets use this analogy: If I purchase a piece of property, I become
responsible for its maintenance; but if I live in a rented property, the
landlord is responsible. If we just let Jesus have a temporary right
over our bodies, He does not accept responsibility for their maintenance. But if He owns them, He is responsible to maintain them. That
is the relationship He desires.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus and the work of Your Holy Spirit.
I proclaim that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and the Lord has
all rights to my body. Thus, I will not defile it with gluttony, drunkenness,
immorality, or any other misuse. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
redeemed, cleansed, by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
February
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February 14
Gods Property
he Bible says that we are to glorify God in both our bodies and our
spirits (see 1 Corinthians 6:20), for both belong to God; both have
been redeemed out of the hand of the devil by the blood of Jesus. No
part of mespirit, soul, or bodyis under the dominion or control
of Satan.
Let me say clearly that I do not have a resurrection body but a
mortal body. But that mortal bodyall its fibers, cells, and tissuesis
Gods property, not the devils. If the devil encroaches on that territory, he is a trespasser. By application of our rights in Jesus, we can
put up a sign that says No Trespassing. Legally, our bodies do not
belong to the devil but to Jesus, who has a special purpose for them.
They are to be places of personal residence of the third Person of the
Godhead, the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are sacred because they are the
appointed dwelling places of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture says clearly many times that God does not dwell in
temples made with hands. (See, for example, Acts 7:48.) Neither does
He dwell in church buildings, chapels, synagogues, or other physical
houses of worship. He dwells in His people.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus and the work of Your Holy
Spirit. I proclaim that my body is Gods property, not the devils.
Legally, my body does not belong to the devil, but to Jesusand
He has a special purpose for my body. My body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
February 15
Listening to Gods Voice

ur destinies, for good or ill, are settled by the voice we choose

to heed. Listening to the voice of the Lord and obeying what
He says will bring blessings. Ignoring the voice of the Lord will bring
many curses. It is impossible to obey God without first hearing His
voice, for His voice tells us what He requires.
Many professing Christians are insensitive to the voice of God.
We may continue our religious activities and duties, but they are
habitual and formaljust patterns we have cultivated that lack a
constant awareness of Gods voice. Through all dispensations, God
asks His people to listen to His voice.
In Jeremiah 7, God explained what He really required of Israel when
He redeemed them from Egypt. The first thing He had in mind was not
keeping the Law for the offering of sacrifices but listening to His voice. It
was His voice that would lead them to keep the Law and offer the necessary sacrifices. Merely observing the externals of the Law was of no avail
if they were not doing so as a result of hearing the voice of the Lord. The
key requirement of God is that we listen to His voice.
For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day
that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt
offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My
people.
(Jeremiah 7:2223)
The simple requirement is, Obey My voice, and I will be your God.
That sums it up as simply as possible.
Spirit. I proclaim that I listen to the voice of the Lord and obey what
He says. I proclaim His truth for me: Obey My voice, and I will
be your God. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed,
cleansed, by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
Claiming Our Inheritance (audio)
February
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February 16
His Holy Spirit within Us

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

(Romans 8:13)
aul said to spiritual Christians that if we live according to the

flesh, we will die, for we are nurturing that which is corrupt. All
you get is corruption when you live according to the flesh.
There is total opposition between the flesh and the Spirit; there is
no reconciliation between them. Gods plan of redemption is to put to
death the old, fleshly nature and bring into being a totally new nature
by His Holy Spirit within us. Although God has made total provision for
this transformation, we have to work it out in our lives. We have to put
to death the deeds of the body. God does not do it for us; He has given
us the legal right, authority, and power, but we must exercise them.
Scripture says, But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He
[God] gave the right [authority] to become children of God (John 1:12). We
receive authority when we are born again. But authority is useless unless
exercised. The new birth is just a potentialthe opportunity to develop
into something wonderful if we will exercise our authority. If we never
take steps to exercise authority in a scriptural way over the problems
and sins that confront and beset us, we will make no progress at all.
We must move out of one way of thinkingthe area of the flesh
into a totally different one. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. For
as many as are [being] led by the Spirit of God, these [and these only] are
sons of God (Romans 8:14).
Spirit. I proclaim that by faith, I am putting to death the deeds of the
body and opening myself up to the totally new nature Your Holy Spirit
creates within me. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed,
cleansed, by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
February 17
Washing and Regeneration

he process of salvation involves washing and regeneration. He

[God] saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5 nasb).
Lets look at these concepts briefly, starting with washing,
or cleansing. Sin defiles. We are inwardly dirty, and we need to be
cleansed. Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse the sinner from all sin. How can we receive that cleansing? If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 nasb). God not only forgives the
past, but He also cleanses us from all the defilement of sin. In the
same chapter, John said that its the blood of Jesus, Gods Son, that
cleanses us. (See verse 7.)
The second phase of this process is regeneration, or rebirth. Jesus
said to Nicodemus, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3 nasb). This is a birth that
comes from Gods realm above. A little further on, Jesus said, That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit (John 3:6 nasb).
When we were born of our mothers, it was a birth of our physical
bodies and our fleshly nature. That is not the kind of birth that brings
salvation. We have to receive a totally new life born into us by the
Spirit of God from above. That is regeneration, or rebirth.
Spirit. I proclaim that the Lord Jesus Christ is cleansing me from all sin
by His blood, and I receive regeneration and rebirtha totally new
life born into me by the Spirit of God. My body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
February
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February 18
Renewal by the Spirit

he process of salvation includes renewing. In Titus 3:5, we read,

He [God] saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in
righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewing by the Holy Spirit (nasb).
The last aspect that Paul mentioned in this verse is renewing. We
must become new creations. Paul said, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians
5:17 niv).
The word creation is important, as there is only one who createsGod. Man can manufacture, repair, or produce, but man cannot create. Our hearts and our whole inner beings have been so defiled
and distorted by the effects of sin that repairing or patching up is no
good. A new creation alone will be good.
In the Old Testament, after David had fallen into adultery, committed murder, and finally been confronted with the awful condition
of his own heart, he cried out to God in agony, Create in me a clean
heart, O God (Psalm 51:10). He knew that creation had to come from
God; it could not come about by any human process.
In Titus 3:5, we have seen the three aspects of the process of
being saveda washing, or cleansing; a regeneration, or rebirth; and
a renewing, or new creation. God does something that man absolutely cannot do. All of this is by Gods mercy, not His justice. It is not
according to our deeds of righteousnessthose wont achieve anything. Salvation has to come from Gods sovereign mercy.
Spirit. I proclaim that I am being renewed by the Holy Spirit. I am a new
creation, not by my own deeds of righteousness, but by Gods sovereign
mercy to me. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed,
cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 8:
Satan has no place in me, no power over
me, no unsettled claims against me.
All has been settled by the blood of Jesus!
Who shall bring a charge against Gods elect? It is
God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is
Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who
is even at the right hand of God, who also makes
intercession for us.
Romans 8:3334
February 19
Forgiving Others
Satan has no place in me, no power over me, no unsettled claims
against me. All has been settled by the blood of Jesus!
ne common way in which believers give Satan a legal claim in their

lives is failing to forgive others. Jesus taught us that we are forgiven by God in the same measure in which we forgive others. He said,
If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:1415). We are not entitled to claim
forgiveness from God in a measure greater than that with which we
forgive others. If there is any person whom we do not forgive, in a corresponding measure, we are not forgiven by God. That means the area
of unforgiveness in our own lives is an area over which Satan still has a
legal claim. We cannot dislodge him until we have forgiven whomever
it may be who needs to be forgiven.
Redemption is coextensive with the forgiveness of sins. If all our
sins are forgiven, then we have the total rights of redemption. Satan
has no legal claim outstanding against us. But if there is any area in
our lives in which sin has not been totally dealt with, Satan still has
a legal claim in that area. We can get all the preachers in America to
preach and pray over us, but we will not dislodge the devil, because
he knows he has a legal claim. We need to remember that the devil is
a legal expert. He knows it, too. However, Gods Word offers us total
forgiveness of sin. It is crucial that we hold on to the total forgiveness
and leave no offense unforgiven.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I ask God to forgive every sin,
and I forgive every person whom I need to forgive (give specific names).
Having done that, I proclaim that Satan has no place in me, no power
over me, no unsettled claims against me. All has been settled by the
blood of Jesus! Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
February 20
Say It Again!
can well remember when I first began to make this kind of testimony.
I thought, I wonder where the devil will hit me next. I know of people
who will not testify because they are afraid of what will happen when
they do, but that is just playing the devils game. Remember, this is
his way of keeping you from doing what will put you beyond his reach.
It is only by the word of your testimony that you will get the benefits
of the blood.
The first time you say it, all hell may break loose. Well, praise
the Lord! Say it again. The Bible says, Let us hold fast our confession
(Hebrews 4:14). And then, when everything really turns loose, Scripture says, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering
(Hebrews 10:23). Keep on saying it. It does not depend on our feelings.
It does not depend on our situations, symptoms, or circumstances. It
is as eternally true as the Word of God.
Forever, Gods Word is settled in heaven. (See Psalm 119:89.)
Satan has no place in us, no power over us, and no unsettled claims
against us.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that Satan has no
place in me, no power over me, no unsettled claims against me. All
has been settled by the blood of Jesus! And I intend to declare this
over and over again. Amen.
February
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February 21
Jesus the Deliverer

he same Christ who is the only Savior is also the only Deliverer.
Only Jesus can break the power of demonic bondage in peoples
lives and set them free. I want us to be introduced to the Deliverer in
just the same way.
For those of us who desire deliverance, we need to make direct,
personal contact with Christ. Here are four simple conditions we need
to meet:
Be sure we have repented. That is, know that we have turned away
from every form of sin.
Look only to Jesus, for He alone is the Deliverer.
Base our appeals solely on what Jesus did for us through His death
on the cross rather than on any good works of our own.
Be sure that, by an act of our wills, we have forgiven every person
who ever harmed or wronged us.
When I personally received deliverance from the demon of depression, I received this promise: Whoever calls on the name of the Lord
shall be saved (Joel 2:32). I also remembered these words of Jesus: In
My name they [the disciples] will cast out demons (Mark 16:17). In the
name of Jesus, we, too, have the authority to expel demons.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that He alone is
my Deliverer, and that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall
be saved. Satan has no place in me, no power over me, no unsettled
claims against me. All has been settled by the blood of Jesus! Amen.
They Shall Expel Demons (book)
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Declaring Gods Word
February 22
Understanding the Battleground

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [fleshly
or physical] but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
(2 Corinthians 10:35)
ur warfare against Satan is waged in the spiritual realm; therefore, the weapons are spiritual and appropriate to the realm of
the warfare.
It is tremendously important that we understand where the battle
is taking place. Paul used various words in 2 Corinthians to speak of the
battleground and our objectives. In different translations, we find the
following words: imaginations, reasonings, speculations, arguments,
knowledge, and thought. Notice that every one of those words refers
to the realm of the mind. We absolutely must understand that the battleground is in our minds. Satan is waging an all-out war to captivate
the minds of the human race. He is building strongholds and fortresses
in our minds, and it is our responsibility, as Gods representatives, to
use our spiritual weapons to break down these strongholds, to liberate
the minds of men and women, and then to bring them into captivity to
the obedience of Christ. What a staggering assignment that is!
Satan deliberately and systematically builds strongholds in peoples minds. These fortresses resist the truth of the gospel and the
Word of God and prevent us from being able to receive the message
of the gospel.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that by His
blood, I am breaking down the strongholds Satan has built in my
mind. I declare that Satan has no place in me, no power over me,
no unsettled claims against me. All has been settled by the blood of
Jesus! Amen.
Derek Prince on Experiencing Gods Power (book)
February
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February 23
The Power of Fasting

In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all
your laborers. Indeed, you fast for strife and debate, and to strike
with the fist of wickedness.Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day
for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush?
(Isaiah 58:35)
or the people here described, fasting was merely an accepted part

of religious ritual, the kind of fasting practiced by the Pharisees in
Jesus day. Instead of real repentance or self-humbling, they continued with normal secular affairs and retained evil attitudes of greed,
selfishness, pride, and oppression.
The kind of fast that is well pleasing to God, on the other hand,
springs from totally different motives and attitudes: To loose the
bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go
free, and that you break every yoke (verse 6). Scripture and experience
alike confirm that there are many bonds that cannot be loosed, burdens that cannot be undone, yokes that cannot be broken, and many
oppressed who will never go free until Gods peopleand especially
their leadersobey Gods call to true fasting and prayer.
Isaiah continues to describe our proper attitudes toward the
needy and oppressed: To share your bread with the hungry, and that
you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked,
that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh (verse 7).
Fasting must be united with sincere and practical charity in our dealings with those around usparticularly, those who need our help in
material and financial matters.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I will obey Gods call
to fasting and praying as Gods chosen way to loose bonds, undo
burdens, free the oppressed, and break yokes. I proclaim that Satan
has no place in me, no power over me, no unsettled claims against me.
All has been settled by the blood of Jesus! Amen.
Shaping History through Prayer and Fasting (book)
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Declaring Gods Word
February 24
The Ruthless Cross

ome people struggle with fear, depression, loneliness, lust, or

anger. A counselor can help us just so far; but in the last resort, the
solution is in our hands: the cross. We must identify this nature in us
when and where it rises up. In the ministry of deliverance, there are
two demons that are the gatekeepers. They swing the door open for
the next demon to come. These gatekeepers are self-pity and resentment. Self-pity is a tremendously powerful tool of Satan, and nobody
can afford to indulge resentment.
At some point, we must be ruthless. The cross is entirely ruthlessthere is nothing comfortable, attractive, or sweet about it. But
we thank God for it because it is the way out; it is Gods provision.
Most of us have a besetting sina sin we are so accustomed to
that we think it is a part of ourselves. We find it hard to hate because
it is almost like hating ourselves. Interestingly enough, my besetting
sin was my fathers problem before me. Children inherit a lot from
their parents, and certain patterns of behavior are set before us. I see
behaviors in me that are direct reproductions of my fathers behavior.
We need to ask the Holy Spirit to identify the nature of our problems. Call them by their right names (they probably wont be pretty)
maybe lust, lying, or pride. Then, we must say, In Jesus, it has been
crucified. I put it to the cross. I will not let it dominate me. I am free
from it through the cross.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that in Jesus, the
besetting sin in my life (name it here) has been crucified. I put it on
the cross. I will not let it dominate me any longer. Satan has no place
in me, no power over me, no unsettled claims against me. All has
been settled by the blood of Jesus! Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 3: Deliverance from the Fleshly Nature (audio)
February
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February 25
Keep Saying It!

he first time we make this declaration, Satan will laugh at us. We

need to keep saying it. Satan is the tempter, but he is very methodical and wastes no time. He will tempt you as long as he gets any
response from you. When there is no more response, he wont bother
to tempt you.
So, we can be tempted in the area of, lets say, resentment. We
must keep saying, It was crucified. It has no power in me. It has no
place in me. The devil says, That isnt really true. Thats just something Brother Prince said. But we keep saying it. And after a while, it
becomes so real that the devil doesnt waste his time trying to tempt
us any longer.
One of the things we have to do is build the walls of our character.
The Bible says that the person who has no control over his own spirit
is like a city that is broken-down and without walls. (See Proverbs
25:28.) In our culture today, many people are growing up like brokendown walls because of bad homes, drugs, or evil influences. Anybody
who has been deep in drugs is definitely a city without protective
walls. We build the walls by strengthening our wills and asserting our
rights bought by the cross. We may think of this process as a terrible
experience. But we dont realize how much good it is doing us; at the
end of it, we have built strong character. Gifts are temporary, for this
life only; character is permanentit goes into eternity with us. God
is infinitely more interested in your character than in your gifts.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I intend to
strengthen my will and assert my rights bought by the cross, declaring
over and over again: Satan has no place in me, no power over me,
no unsettled claims against me. All has been settled by the blood of
Jesus! Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 3: Deliverance from the Fleshly Nature (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 9:
My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit,
redeemed, cleansed, and sanctified
by the blood of Jesus.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from
God, and you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
February 26
Glorifying God in My Body

My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, redeemed,
cleansed, and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God
in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods.

here are many ways in which we use our bodies. One primary activity consists of nourishing ourselveseating and drinking. Paul
said that we need to do those activities in a way that glorifies God:
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God.
What does it mean to eatto the glory of God? I leave it to you to
answer this question. Some people cannot even imagine they can give
God glory by the way they eat. But God has said He is a jealous God
(see, for example, Exodus 34:14), and He wants to be glorified in every
aspect of lifeespecially the simple, daily, down-to-earth activities.
But let me ask you one more question. Is it possible to overeat
to the glory of God? I cant see that it is possible, since overeating
is a form of self-indulgence. Proverbs 13:25 says, The righteous eats
to the satisfying of his soul. We are entitled to satisfaction, but if we
go beyond thatbeyond meeting our legitimate needsthen we are
being self-indulgent.
Spirit. I proclaim that my body is a temple for the Holy Spirit,
redeemed, cleansed, and sanctified by the blood of Jesus. My body
belongs to God, and I intend to use it in a way that glorifies Him
including what I eat and drink. Amen.
Update 92 July 2000 (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
February 27
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

n Psalm 139:1314, David spoke to the Lord, saying,

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mothers
womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
He was telling God, in other words, You were there when I was
still in my mothers womb; You were fashioning me together.
I wonder if we realize that we are fearfully and wonderfully
made. When I think of what was involved in God creating my body
and providing me with a body, I feel a sense of awe. I am fearfully and
wonderfully made, and I have to give account to God for what I have
done with the body He gave me.
We are so occupied with computers todayand they are really
wonderful implements. But I want to point out that, by far, the most
wonderful computers we will ever encounter are our own bodies.
Many Christians give much more careful attention to their computers than they do their own bodies. After all, if a computer fails or
crashes or becomes obsolete, with a little extra money, we can buy
another. But when the human body fails, when that computer breaks
down, that is the end. There is nothing more that can be done.
Spirit. I proclaim with awe that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, and
sanctified by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
February
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February 28
The Importance of Diet

iet, or daily regimen, is a vital facet of life. Everybody follows

a diet, whether he knows it or not. Various methods of dietary
management are advocated, and among them is vegetarianism. I have
met many people who are disposed to be vegetarians. I am not critical
of them; I respect them. However, I think there are certain cautions
they must keep in mind. Consider what Paul wrote:
Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak
eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not
eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has
received him.
(Romans 14:13)
Paul said that we should be careful about our attitudes toward

other people. Regarding vegetarianism, he said of the one who eats
only vegetables that his faith is weak, for he eschews meat as a means
of trying to attain righteousness.
Then, there is another diet solution advocated and espoused by
many people: abstaining completely from alcohol. But Scripture tells us
that the Lord causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for
the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine
that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread
which strengthens mans heart (Psalm 104:1415).
God brings forth from the earth various things for us to consume, including wine, which makes glad the heart of man. Obviously,
God does not demand that we be teetotalers.
Spirit. I will glorify God even in what I eat and how often I do so.
My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, and
sanctified by the blood of Jesus. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
March 1
Cooperating with the Spirit

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will
depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received
with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For
every creature of God [every kind of food] is good, and nothing
is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
(1 Timothy 4:15)
n this passage, Paul was saying, first of all, that abstaining from the
marriage relationship (i.e., celibacy) is not an automatic condition
of holiness; it does not necessarily lead to holiness. In fact, if we look
at the history of the church, in cases where the clergy were required
to be celibate, it is apparent that celibacy did not always produce holiness.
Regarding diets, what Paul was saying is, Everything that God
has created as food is good. But we have to bear in mind that the
good food that God created may be corrupted by what we mix with it
or the way we prepare it. So, take the time and effort to distinguish
between things that are helpful and things that are harmful. Cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus and the work of Your
Holy Spirit. I proclaim that I will cooperate with the Holy Spirit to
distinguish what is helpful or harmful for my body, because it is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, and sanctified by the
blood of Jesus. Amen.
March
77
March 2
Taking Care of the Temple

cripture has led me to some practical conclusions regarding my

body. I do not seek to impose these on anybody, but I have given
a lot of care and prayer to this subject, and I have been prepared to
make radical changes in my own lifestyle, if they are Gods will.
My first conclusion, the basis of all the other conclusions, is that
I must treat my body with reverence and attune to it as a temple of
the Holy Spirit. Again, Paul said, Do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit? (1 Corinthians 6:19). If we take this passage
seriously, then we are going to deal with our bodies as with a temple,
for that is what they are.
Suppose for a moment that God put us in charge of a material templea building of stone, timber, and glass. If we were conscientious, we
would be concerned about looking after itkeeping it clean and free
from dust, with no broken windows or clogged toilets. We would feel
tremendous responsibility to keep that building in the best possible
condition. As Christians, you and I have an even greater responsibility
to keep our bodies, which are the temple of Holy Spirit, in the best possible condition, and we need to find out what is involved in doing that.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, For God did not give
us a spirit of timidity [or fear], but a spirit of power, of love and of selfdiscipline (2 Timothy 1:7 niv). We see here that the Holy Spirit is a
Spirit of self-discipline. But there is a subtle balance: He wont discipline us if we are not willing to be disciplined. If we seek the help of
the Holy Spirit in cultivating self-discipline, He will help us.
Spirit. I will seek the help of the Holy Spirit in cultivating selfdiscipline to keep my body in the best possible condition, for it is a
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Declaring Gods Word
March 3
Radical Obedience
n making this confession, we need to be radical. Christianity is a

radical religion. The word radical means dealing with the root.
When John the Baptist introduced the gospel and Jesus, he said, And
even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which
does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew
3:10). God is not going to lop off a few branches or even cut off the
trunk. He is going to go straight to the root. He requires that a tree
bring forth good fruit. If a tree does not bring forth good fruit, God
says to chop it down.
Among the younger generation, there is a tendency to be pretty
radical. I think this inclination needs to be encouragedin the right
direction. To be honest, we older generations have often compromised
rather than be radical. We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who
often calls for apparently radical things.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

(Romans 8:11)
Paul was making a remarkable statement here. He said that it
was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, who raised the dead body of
Jesus from the tomb. And if you have that same Holy Spirit in your
body, then He can do much that you need in your body through His
power. What a radical truth!
Spirit. I proclaim that I will pursue radical obedience in cooperating
with the Holy Spirit, because my body is a temple for the Holy
Spirit, redeemed, cleansed, and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.
Amen.
March
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March 4
Finishing His Work

ere are a few suggestions regarding how to treat your body as a

temple for the Holy Spirit.
First of all, treat your body with reverence because it is a temple
of the Holy Spirit, whom we revere. Among contemporary Christians,
I find there is very little reverence for the body.
Second, seek the help of the Holy Spirit in cultivating self-discipline.
Third, take the time and make the effort to distinguish between
that which is helpful and that which is harmful.
Fourth, be willing to be radical because your life is at stake.
Fifth, seek to cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
There are many other steps I could add to this list, but these I have
acquired through experience. I was challenged by the Lord to consider
whether I was leading a life of self-indulgence. I was challenged by the
Lord to consider these questions: Do I want to go on living? Do I want
to finish my assigned task? Jesus said to His disciples, My food is to do
the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work (John 4:34).
That is the best diet: to do the will of Him who sent usand
to finish His work. Even after spending more than fifty years in the
Lords service, I believed there were certain tasks assigned to me by
God that I had not yet fulfilled. I never took it for granted that I would
fulfill them. I always took care of my body, knowing the importance
of keeping myself in good physical condition so my life would not be
cut short before I had finished Gods work.
Spirit. I proclaim that I will cooperate with the Holy Spirit, keeping
myself in good physical condition to finish His work. My body is a
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 10:
My members, the parts of my body, are
instruments of righteousness, yielded to
God for His service and for His glory.
Do not present your members as instruments of
unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God
as being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13
March 5
Presenting Ourselves to God

My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of
righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.
ods solution for the old nature can be summed up in one word:
execution. Execution is what took place on the cross, when Jesus
died and our old man was crucified with Him. How do we apply Gods
solution in our own lives?
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should
obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body
to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to
God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments
of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you
are not under law, but under grace.
(Romans 6:1214 nasb)
Pauls instructions can be followed only by those who have put
their faith in Jesus and accepted His substitutionary sacrifice on their
behalf. Someone once said, If you ever want to get to heaven, youve
got to learn to say no. That is certainly the truth. Paul said that we
must make up our minds and take a firm stand against sin. Both sin
and Satan can tell the difference between when we are just saying
words and when we really mean them. We must proclaim these words
with conviction. Then, through faith in Jesus, our wills are liberated
from the dominion of sin. It then becomes our responsibility to exercise our wills aright. God is not going to do that for us. This is the point
at which we have to recognize our responsibility to monitor our wills.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I take a stand now
and proclaim that sin and Satan have no claim and no power over me.
I proclaim that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments
of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.
Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
March 6
Release from Torment

or several years, while I was a pastor in London, I had a tremendous struggle against depression that would come over me, weigh
upon me, and shut me in. It gave me a sense of hopelessness and failure. Maybe you can identify with this. I fought this situation in every
way that I knew, but I made no progress. Then, I came across Isaiah
61:3: To console those who mourn in Zion, to give themthe garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness.
As I read those words, the Holy Spirit showed me, Thats your
problem! It was like a flood of light coming in. I realized I was not
fighting against myself but another beingan evil spirit that was
tormenting and oppressing me. When I realized that, I was probably 80 percent of the way to victory. I actually needed only one other
Scripture: Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved [delivered kjv] (Joel 2:32).
Putting those two Scriptures together, I prayed, God, Youve
shown me that Im oppressed by a spirit of heaviness. I come to You
now, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Deliver me. He liberated
my mind from that oppressing spirit.
Now, it was up to me to reprogram my own mind. I had habitually
negative thought patterns, which God showed me to be a denial of my
faith in Jesus. It was up to me to retrain my mind. Over a period of
several years, every time a negative, pessimistic thought came to me, I
would reject it, replacing it with a positive confession from Scripture.
Several years later, my whole inner working had changed completely.
I was a totally different person.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I proclaim that I have
been released from all torment, and that my members, the parts of my
body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service
and for His glory. Amen.
March
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March 7
Yielded to God
aul said, Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey
its lusts, and do not go on presenting your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God
(Romans 6:1213 nasb). We have been set free. Sin must not control
our hands, our feet, or our tongues. On the contrary, Paul said, we
should yield ourselves to God and our members as instruments of
righteousness to God. Theres a double yielding.
First, we yield our wills to God by saying, Not my will, but Yours,
be done. In the Lords Prayer, the second petition is, Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). When we pray Your will
be done, it begins with the will of the one who is prayingone who
wills for Gods will to be done.
Once we have yielded our wills, we then yield our physical members to God as instruments of righteousness. In Greek, the word
instruments literally means weapons, implying spiritual conflict.
These are not just any instruments, like a hoe or plowthey are fighting instruments, like a sword.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is key because in that experience we
first yield our wills to God; we then yield the one unruly member that
we are powerless to control: the tongue. When we are baptized in the
Holy Spirit, we actually fulfill the instruction to yield our members to
God as instruments (weapons) of righteousness. Certainly, when the
tongue has been yielded to God and taken over by the Holy Spirit, it
becomes a weapon: in prayer, in testimony, and in preaching.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I yield myself and my
will to God, proclaiming that my members, the parts of my body, are
instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for
His glory. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
March 8
Moving Forward
e have a choice to make. Something is going to control us.

Which will it be: sin or righteousness? If we say righteousness,
we can believe we will be tested! The devil will not give up as long as
he thinks he has a chance of succeeding.
When an individual is tested and tempted, the devil will go on
until that person has come to the place where the temptation just
doesnt affect him. He does not even entertain the thought. The devil
is clever enough not to waste his time on people like that. But if any
double-mindedness exists in us, the devil will exploit it. We must
make a firm decision.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your
flesh. Foryou presented your members as slaves to impurity and
to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness.

(Romans 6:19 nasb)
If we choose lawlessness, it will increase. We will become more
and more lawless. Many of us can trace that reality in our lives.
Instead of increasing in lawlessness, now present your members
as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification [holiness] (verse 19
nasb).
It is almost impossible to stand still in the spiritual life. We are
either going to go forward or backward. We are either going to progress in holiness or go further into rebellion.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I present myself as a
slave to righteousness and proclaim that my members, the parts of my
March
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March 9
Choosing Grace
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.

(Romans 12:1)
t is a question of setting our wills, then yieldingin that order. If

we dont will, then, by habit, we will yield to the wrong thing. We
must stop presenting our bodies, our members, to sin. When we were
still unbelievers, we did just that for a long while. But we have to stop
and say, Thats the end of that! Once we yield our wills to God, we
dont have to yield our members to Satan.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law
but under grace (Romans 6:14). The implications of this statement are
far-reaching. Paul said that we are not under law but under grace. It
is either one or the otherit cannot be both at the same time. If we
are under law, we are not under grace. If we are under grace, we are
not under law.
Moreover, Paul said that sin shall not have dominion over us, for
we are not under the law. The corollary is that if we are under the law,
sin will have dominion over us. That is a shocking statement to many
people, but that is what the Bible consistently says.
We are not governed by a set of rules. We have become sons of
God, and we obey Him because we love Him. From now on, love, not
fear, is our motivation for obedience. God does not make us slaves;
the Law does that. God makes us His sons and daughters. We have to
choose the Law or Gods grace.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I choose grace and
yield my will to God, proclaiming that my members, the parts of my
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March 10
Whom Will We Serve?

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to
obey, you are that ones slaves whom you obey, whether of sin
leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

(Romans 6:16)
aul said that when we yield ourselves to someone, we become

slaves of the one we obey. If we yield to, lets say, immorality, we
become slaves of immorality. We cannot yield to sin without becoming its slaves. Thus, we must decide to whom and to what we want to
yield. Some of us dont like choices, but in the spiritual life, we cannot
avoid them.
At the end of his career, Joshua gave Israel a choice:
Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in
truth.And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the
gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord.
(Joshua 24:1415)
Joshua challenged the Israelites to make a choice, and this choice

has never changed. It is not whether we will serve; it is whom we will
serve. Serve we will. Before we were redeemed, we had no choice. We
could not keep from sinning; there was no other option but to be
slaves to sin and servants of Satan. After we experience redemption
through faith in Jesus Christ, though, we have another option: we
can choose to serve God and be slaves to righteousness.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I choose to serve
the Lord, and I proclaim that my members, the parts of my body, are
His glory. Amen.
March
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March 11
My Body Is for the Lord

Present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:13)
e give our physical members to God and say, God, You use
them. Then, we also have to keep the temple holy. Paul wrote,
Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord
for the body (1 Corinthians 6:13). Today, we call sexual immorality
premarital sex. But God has not changed His estimate of this sin.
The body is not for premarital sex; the body is for the Lord. And then,
the Lord [is] for the body, too. Isnt that wonderful? If we give our
bodies to the Lord, then the Lord is for our bodies.
Paul was a down-to-earth man who talked to people about things
that really concerned them. He continued, Flee sexual immorality.
Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual
immorality sins against his own body (verse 18).
Many people interpret this passage as a warning about sexually
transmitted diseases, such as HIV, gonorrhea, or syphilis. These may
certainly be consequences of sexual immorality, but Pauls teaching
means much more than that. We endanger the health of our bodies
when we commit any kind of immorality. Many times when Christians seek healing and do not receive it, the root cause is immorality.
In most cases, God demands that we go to the root cause, repent of it,
and set it aright before we can receive healing from Him.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I give my body to
the Lord, proclaiming that my members, the parts of my body, are
His glory. Amen.
Who Am I?: Why You Have a Body (audio)
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Week 11:
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of my testimony, and I do not
love my life to the death.
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony, and they did not
love their lives to the death.
Revelation 12:11
March 12
Resurrection Life
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my
testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.
eviticus 17:11 says, The life of the flesh is in the blood. When Jesus
poured out His blood, He poured out His life. As I understand it,
the life of God was released into the universe. And no mind can really
comprehend the fullness of what that means.
Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly [of utmost importance], I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My
flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day.
(John 6:5354)
Bear in mind that our redemption is not complete until the
resurrection. In Philippians 3:12, Paul said, Not that I have already
attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that
for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me, which is the resurrection
from the dead (verse 11).
Some people have the impression that their bodies are not very
important. But God says our bodies are very importantthey are
temples for the Holy Spirit. They are fearfully and wonderfully made
(Psalm 139:14). And God is not going to leave our bodies in a state
of decay. He is going to resurrect them with glory like that of Jesus.
Redemption is the full outworking of Jesus sacrifice, and it is consummated by the resurrection.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. Like Paul, I press
onthat I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. I proclaim
that I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my
testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.
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The Glory to Be Revealed

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us [at the
resurrection]. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly
waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
(Romans 8:1819)
any Christians do not seem to grasp the significance of Christs

resurrection for us. The sons of God are revealed at the resurrection; all of creation is waiting expectantly for it on tiptoe. The trees, seas,
rivers, and mountains are all waiting. It is extraordinary that creation
has so much excitementand that much of the church has so little.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation
itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God.
(verses 2021)
The entirety of creation suffered because of mans sin. Before
man sinned, there were no thorns and thistles; nothing ever died
or rotted. And we see that were not the only ones who are going to
come into a glorious resurrection; creation is, too. However, God has
assigned this priority: creation does not come in until we come in. As
Paul wrote, For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with
birth pangs together until now (verse 22).
Paul often used the phrase we know, yet most contemporary
Christians dont know. Do we know that the whole creation is in labor
pains, waiting for the revelation of the sons of God, the birth of a new
age, and deliverance from corruption?
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I proclaim that I am
coming into the glory destined for the sons of God. I overcome Satan
by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do
not love my life to the death. Amen.
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March 14
The Blood of Jesus

our times in John 6, Jesus said about the believer, I will raise him
up at the last day. (See verses 39, 40, 44, and 54.) Resurrection is a
part of salvation.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed
[true food], and My blood is drink indeed [true drink]. He who
eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

(John 6:5456)
The words eats, drinks, and abides are in the continuing present
tense: He who continually feeds on My flesh, and continually drinks
My blood, continually abides in Me and I in him.
It is very clear that the Lord attaches tremendous importance
to feeding on His flesh and drinking His blood. I am not the final
authority, but I really believe He is talking about the sacrament of the
Lords Supper, or Communion.
At one time, I lived in an Arab town with Arab Christians. When
they took the Lords Supper, they said, Let us drink the blood of
Jesus. I believe those Arab Christians got the right picture. Drinking
the blood of Jesus is Communion.
Something in us says, I dont like the thought of drinking blood.
I remember that it took me years to come to grips with this statement. But to have eternal life, we have to drink Jesus blood and feed
on His flesh.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I partake of His eternal
life by drinking His blood and feeding on His flesh, and I proclaim
that I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross: The Sevenfold Power of the Blood (audio)
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March 15
The Importance of Communion

e have noted that the life is in the blood. (See Leviticus 17:11.) If
we want the life, we must appropriate the blood. We do that by
taking Communion, as well as by the word of our testimony.
To me, this matter of taking Communion has become extremely
important. Paul quoted Jesus in 1 Corinthians 11:25, saying, This do,
as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. Many churches think
that says, As seldom as you do it. Some of the most beautiful services I have ever attended were liturgical Communion services; they
were so beautiful because they held on to that fact.
At one point, my wife, Ruth, and I came to the conclusion that
we were not taking Communion as often as we should. As the priest
of our home, I decided we would have Communion every morning
during our time with the Lord. I am not saying that every Christian
should do this, but I am thankful that we did. We would have felt that
something had dropped out of our lives if we had omitted it.
Every day, when we took Communion, we would say, We receive
this bread as Your flesh, Lord, and this wine as Your blood. I would
do this in a simple, specific way, saying, Lord, we are doing this in
remembrance of You; we are proclaiming Your death until You come.
In Communion, we have no past but the cross, no future but the coming. We do it in remembrance of the cross until Jesus comes. Let this
compel us to consider whether we are really availing ourselves of the
life that is in the blood.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I avail myself of the
life that is in the blood through Communion, and I proclaim that I
overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my
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March 16
Laying Down Our Lives

n order to experience the full effects of the blood of Jesus, we

need to know how to appropriate His blood. Todays Scripture and
our confession for this week refer to a great end-time conflict that
involves both heaven and earththe angels of God, Satan and his
angels, and Gods believing people on earth. The statement is made
by Gods angels: 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
(Revelation 12:11).
They were people like you and me, believers in Jesus Christ.
Him refers to Satan. There is a direct conflict between us and Satan;
there is no one in between. This verse tells us how the believers overcame him, further describing them as committedtotally committed. A committed Christian is the only kind that frightens Satan.
When it says they did not love not their lives to the death, it means that
staying alive was not their first priority. Priority number one was to
be faithful to the Lord and to do His will.
When talking about soldiers in the Lords army, many of us
have a vague and sentimental idea about what that means. When I
was a soldier in the British army, I did not receive a certificate from
the commanding officer guaranteeing that I would not lose my life.
Any soldier knows he may be killed; serving may cost his life. It is the
same in the Lords army. There is no guarantee that we will not have
to lay down our lives. The people Satan fears are those who are not
afraid to lay down their lives. After all, life on earth is brief compared
with life eternal in heaven.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I proclaim that staying
alive is not my first priority, and also that I overcome Satan by the
blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love
my life to the death. Amen.
How to Apply the Blood (audio)
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March 17
The Weapons of Our Warfare

n Revelation 12:79, we see that heaven has been purged of the

dragon (Satan) and his angels. Rejoice, heaven; look out, earth! Now
the devil is right down here on earth, and he knows he has only a
few short years to do mischief and cause harm. It is clear to me that
this period is closely related to all (or part) of the seventieth week of
Daniel. (See Daniel 9:2124.) It is a specific time periodone that the
devil, who is a student of prophecy, knows well. And Jesus has said
those days will be cut short. (See, for example, Matthew 24:2122.)
Though theoretically the Bible says three and a half years, there will
be at least a few days taken off at the end. Then, the devil will be
bound and imprisoned in the bottomless pit.
The devil wants to keep us ignorant of this fact, because as long
we are ignorant, we cannot do what God has appointed. But God has
given us the spiritual weapons to cast down Satan from his place in
the heavenlies.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty
in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments
[imaginations kjv] and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God.
The spiritual weapons given to us will enable us to cast down
every high thing that opposes God and His kingdom. The last, ultimate, supreme high thing that opposes God is Satans kingdom in the
heavenlies. To us are committed the weapons that will enable us to
defeat it: the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I take it up as a spiritual
weapon, along with my testimony, proclaiming that I overcome Satan
by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do
not love my life to the death. Amen.
Praying to Change History: Gods Atomic WeaponThe Blood of Jesus (audio)
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March 18
Confessing Faith
he Lord has showed me that many Christians, if they looked back

on their pasts, would admit to having made a series of negative
confessions. You may have talked about what you couldnt do or discussed your failures and disappointments. But, you see, our confessions determine where we go.
There is a vivid example of this truth in the story of the twelve
spies Moses sent into the Promised Land. Two came back with positive confessions, ten with negative ones. The majority of the Israelites
believed the negative confession, We cannot. The positive confession was, We are well able. All the Israelites settled their destinies
by their confession. Those who said, We cannot could not. And those
who said, We are well able were well able.
You may have uttered some negative words, spoken statements
that did not glorify Jesus, or dwelled on disappointments that only
tied you to impotence or failure. If we confess failure, failure will be
our portion. If we confess faith, God will be our portion. Just confess
to God, Lord, Im sorry. Ive tied Your hands; because of my unbelief
and negative thinking, I have limited what You could do in my life.
Scripture says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
When youve rejected negative confessions, thank God that
youve come out of that dark, lonely valley. Say, I can do all things
through Christ who empowers me within, which is the literal translation of Philippians 4:13.
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I proclaim that I can
do all things through Christ who empowers me within, and that I
overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my
What Is Holiness?, Vol. 2: Treat Your Body as Gods Temple (audio)
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Week 12:
My body is for the Lord,
and the Lord is for my body.
Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but
God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is
not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6:13
March 19
A Personal God
My body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body.
was once a professor at Britains largest university, and I held various degrees and academic distinctions. In many ways, I was quite
sophisticatedintellectually. But I do not feel in any way intellectually inferior to say I believe the Bibles record of creation. Prior to
believing the Bible, I studied many other sources that attempted to
explain mans origin, but I found them unsatisfying. In many cases,
they contradicted one another. I then turned to study the Biblenot
as a believer but as a professional philosopher. I thought to myself, At
least it cant be any sillier than some of the other things Ive heard! To my
astonishment, I discovered that the Bible had the answer.
In Genesis, we read a short, simple statement. It begins, The
Lord Godthat is, Jehovah GodGods personal name. This
term tells us that a personal God formed a personal man for personal
fellowship.
The Lord God formed [molded] man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became
a living being [soul].
(Genesis 2:7)
Here we see the union of Gods divine, eternal breath from above
with the body of clay from beneath, molded by the hands of the Creator. The union of spirit from above and clay from beneath produced
a living human personalityone that can have fellowship with the
living, personal God.
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I proclaim that a
personal God created me for personal fellowshipand that my body
is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.
Bible Psychology: What Gods Mirror Reveals: Gods Provision for the Believers Body (audio)
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March 20
A Miraculous Creation
e know about the inner personality of manhis spirit and

soulbut let us not be blind to the fact that mans body is also
a miraculous and marvelous creation of God. Many believers do not
sufficiently value or care for their own bodies. Until the breath of God
entered that clay form, it was just claynothing more. It became a
living, functioning physical body with all its organisms, parts, and
members through the miraculous operation of the Spirit of God.
Consider the human eye. On one particular telecast, the American Society of Ophthalmologists presented some fascinating information. If I remember correctly, they said one human eye contains more
than three million working parts. What brought that into being? The
breath of God. All our muscles, nerves, and glandsall the functions
of our physical bodiesowe their origin to the inbreathed breath
of God. That is what transformed the clay into a marvelous physical
organism. When you grasp that truth, the miracles of divine healing
become logical. Who can better repair, restore, and, if need be, recreate the body than the same Agent who initially formed it? The Spirit
of God is the Creator and Healer.
I have been privileged to witness creative miracles of God whereby
missing bones were restored. I once asked for prayer on behalf of a
little girl in San Jose, California, whose elder sister was born with a
bone missing from the upper part of both legs. As a result of prayer,
God created the bones. I dont claim that its simple, but it is fathomable when you understand the origin of the human body. It was just a
clay form until the Spirit of God moved upon it and produced a complex organism that its Creator can heal.
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I am a miraculous

and marvelous creation of God, and I proclaim that my body is for
the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.
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March 21
An Intricate Unity
ooking at the book of Job, we see some tremendous revelations

about the body. In many ways, theres a wonderful interrelationship between the books of Genesis and Job. Job 10:812 is a beautiful
summation of Gods creative work in our bodies. Verse 8 reads, Your
hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity.
As in Genesis 2:7, where the word formed indicates a skillful
work that results from great care, so the book of Job emphasizes the
immeasurable skill and care that God devoted to forming the human
body:
Your hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity;
yet You would destroy me. Remember, I pray, that You have made
me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Did You not
pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with
skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews?

(Job 10:811)
What a vivid expression! What a beautiful picture of the interrelationship of the various primary parts of the body. We read on in
verse 12, You have granted me life and favor, and Your care [visitation
kjv] has preserved my spirit.
Later on in Job, we have the other aspectthe spiritual partof
mans nature: But there is a spirit in man, and the breath [inspiration
kjv] of the Almighty gives him understanding (Job 32:8).
These words from Job are in perfect accord with those from Genesis. It is the union of the breath of God from above with the clay
from beneath that brings into being a total human personality.
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I am the union of
the breath of God from above with the clay from beneathand I
proclaim that my body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body.
Amen.
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March 22
Gods Blueprint
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mothers
womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My
frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and
skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

(Psalm 139:1315)
hen I consider the physical body, I am filled with a sense of awe.

The substance that eventually became my body was planned and
formed by God in the earth long before it ever entered my body. God
had appointed the substance that would one day constitute my body.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book
they [my members kjv] all were written, the days fashioned for
me, when as yet there were none of them.
(verse 16)
God had a blueprint for our bodies before they ever came into
being. Compare this verse to what Jesus said in Luke 12:7: But the
very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of
more value than many sparrows. This statement shows the depth of
Gods concern for our physical bodiesHe has even numbered the
hairs on our heads. When we realize this, we must acknowledge that
God also has a purpose for this marvelous workmanship, which is
revealed in 1 Corinthians 6:1920: Or do you not know that your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and
you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God
in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods.
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I will glorify God
in my body, and I proclaim that my body is for the Lord, and the
Lord is for my body. Amen.
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March 23
A Living Sacrifice
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual service of worship.
(Romans 12:1 nasb)
n the early chapters of Romans, we are confronted with tremendous

theology. The application starts with our bodies: we are to present
our bodies to God as a living sacrifice.
We might think, The body isnt so important; its really the soul that
is important. But lets use a practical analogy: If I asked for a glass of
water, I would get both the vessel and its contents. I could not get the
water without the glass. That is what God is saying. He wants the vessel, the bodyand its contents, the soul. We cannot give the contents
without the vessel.
What does it mean to make our bodies a livingsacrifice? The
sacrifices of the Old Testament were animals that were killed, then
placed on the altar. God says, I want your body just as completely as
the Old Testament sacrifices, but with one difference. I dont want
your body dead but living. When I have your body, I have you.
In Matthew 23, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, explaining
what things really mattered in their service to God. They said the
offering was more important than the altar. Jesus said, You blind
men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the
offering? (Matthew 23:19 nasb). The altar sanctifies the offering that
is placed upon it. The offering is made holy by being placed upon Gods
altar. That is how it is with our bodies. When we place our bodies on
Gods altar, they become holy. They are sanctified, set apart to God. It
is an act each of us has to make.
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I present myself to
God as a living sacrifice, and I proclaim that my body is for the Lord,
and the Lord is for my body. Amen.
How to Find Gods Plan for Your Life (audio)
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March 24
A Body of Humiliation
hen man rebelled against God, his whole personality was

affected. The word used in Scripture to describe this condition
is corrupt. Every area of human personality is affectedspiritual,
moral, and physical. Death is at the end of physical corruption. Paul
said, Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and
thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Through
sin, the poison of corruption entered us. First Corinthians 15:56 tells
us, The sting of death is sin. Just as a bee or a wasp introduces its
poison into a body with its sting, so Satan introduced the poison of
corruption and death through the sting of sin.
We have all become corrupt creatures. In Philippians 3:21, Paul
called our present bodies the body of humble state (nasb). We are in
a humble state, humiliated, because we rebelled against our Creator.
No matter how elegant, healthy, strong, wealthy, or famous we are, we
live in bodies of humiliation. We may eat the finest meals and drink
the tastiest beverages, but we will still have to use the toilet. We may
be strong and healthy, but when we get really warmed up, we start to
sweat. Whether wealthy or poor, we all sweat. These built-in bodily
functions remind us that we are all rebels and transgressors whose
bodies are consequently subject to corruption.
I spent five years training African teachers, and I was interested
in their athletic abilities. I would tell these strong young men, Just
bear in mind, one little anopheles mosquito can come along and insert
his proboscis into you, and you will be a shivering, fever-wracked
mess. That is our body of humiliation. The good news is that Jesus
died to redeem usand not just our souls. He redeemed the whole
manbody, soul, and spirit.
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I proclaim that
Jesus died to redeem me in totality. Therefore, my body is for the
Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.
Gods Plan for Your Body (audio)
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March 25
Healing for the Body

cripture says that Jesus Himself bore our sins in His own body on the
tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose
stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24).
On the cross, Jesus took our sins in His own body, which became
the sin offering. He took the curse that we deserved upon Himself in
His body on the cross that we might be released from sin. The Scripture also says, He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses
(Matthew 8:17) in His own body, that by His wounds we might be
healed. (See 1 Peter 2:24 nasb, niv.) As far as God is concerned, our
release from sin is already accomplished. As far as God is concerned,
it is already done.
It is interesting to note that the New Testament does not put
healing in the future, but in the past. We have been healed ever since
the death of Jesus, by whose stripes you were healed (emphasis
added). Healing has already been provided. Christians sometimes ask
me, How can I know if its Gods will for me to be healed? I usually
answer, If you are a committed Christian, redeemed by the blood of
Jesus, I think youre asking the wrong question. The question is not,
How can I know if its Gods will for me to be healed? The question
is, How can I appropriate the healing that God has already provided
for me? Gods purpose is to preserve the whole of us: spirit, soul,
and body, as Paul said, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you
completely [make you completely holy]; and may your whole spirit, soul,
and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1
Thessalonians 5:23).
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I proclaim that by
the death of Jesus on the cross, I was forgiven and healed, and Gods
purpose is to preserve the whole of mespirit, soul, and body. My
body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.
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Week 13:
The Lord will not forsake His people.
The Lord will not forsake His people, for His great
names sake, because it has pleased the Lord to
make you His people.
1 Samuel 12:22
March 26
God Is Present
od promised Abraham and Jacob that their descendants would

be like the sand on the seashore. That is such a vivid picture of
Israel throughout the last two thousand years of history. The waves
have continually beaten upon them. The rage of men and demons
and Satan himselfhas unleashed countless onslaughts against the
Jewish people in many different areas at many different times. The
sea has been stirred up; it has roared, it has tossed to and fro, it has
beaten on the sand. And do you know what happens? The sand always
wins. Why? Because God said it would. It is Gods Word being worked
out.
It is so important to understand that the Jews did not choose
to be Gods people. It was the Lord who chose them. I believe that
every choice God makes is a right choice. No matter how contrary
things may appear, the Lord did the right thing. He will not forsake
His peoplenot because they deserve His faithfulness, but for His
great names sake. Gods name is committed to Israel; His honor is at
stake.
In the New Testament, Jesus Himself gives us the same assurance: I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). At times,
we may not be in any way conscious of His presence, but by His Holy
Spirit, He is with us. No matter where we go, God is present by His
Spiritinvisible, often imperceptible, yet inescapable. For the unbeliever, this may be a terrifying thought; but for the believer, it is a
comforting, strengthening assurance.
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for
that nation now. I proclaim that just as the Lord is with Israel, He is
with me, for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.
Update 78: January 1996 (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
March 27
God Will Protect

was living in Jerusalem when the State of Israel was born. I remember seeing the Israeli flag go up over the center of Jerusalem. I said
to myself, Surely this must be significant!
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles
afar off, and say, He who scattered Israel will gather him, and
keep him as a shepherd does his flock.
(Jeremiah 31:10)
Twenty-five hundred years ago, God ordained that this particular message should be proclaimed in every nation of the earth. It is
being fulfilled before your eyes and in your ears today. Now we can
say, He who scattered Israel is gathering him and will keep him as a
shepherd does his flock.
These are days when absolutely no one knows, in the natural,
what will happen tomorrow in Israel. A war could break out there
within twenty-four hours without any warning. But in the midst of it
all, God will protect Israel as a shepherd protects his flock. There is a
guarantee that no matter the political pressures and the violence that
erupt, God will protect regathered Israel.
The Lord gives us the same promise in Psalm 121:78: The Lord
will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard
your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever (nasb).
It is so good to know that God is with you, not only when you begin
the journey, but also when you come to the end; not just when you go
to work in the morning, but also when you come home again in the
evening. God is still with you, and He will protect you and keep you
from this time forth and forever. The Creator is our keeper.
that nation now. I proclaim that just as God is the Protector of Israel,
He is my Protector and Keeper, for the Lord will not forsake His
people. Amen.
Update 98: November 2002 (audio); WFTW15/7 (transcript)
March
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March 28
Healer of the Brokenhearted

n Psalm 147:23, we read, The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their
wounds (niv). Those are beautiful words, but the most exciting thing
about them is that they are being fulfilled in this generation, in our
lifetime.
I have seen the outworking of those words. Again, I had the privilege to be living in Jewish Jerusalem in May 1948, when the State of
Israel was reborn after two thousand years. Today, the Lord is building up Jerusalem. He is gathering the exiles of Israel. He is healing
the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds.
That is good news for all who will turn to God. It is good news
for Gods people, Israel. It is also good news for the church of Jesus
Christ because the same God who is gathering Israel is gathering the
church back to Himself, bringing us into our inheritance, healing our
wounds, and binding up our broken hearts.
There is an ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit that is very speciala ministry to the brokenhearted. It is a ministry to those whose
hearts are wounded. If you carry a wound inside you, turn to God
and say, God, this is a time of restoration. It is a time of regathering.
You are healing the brokenhearted. You are binding up their wounds.
Lord, You know the wound I have carried so long in my heart. Will
You heal me?
And the invisible finger of God, the Holy Spirit, will reach down
where no surgeon can reach and touch that wounded place in your life
to bring you healing and restoration.
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede

for that nation now. I proclaim that just as God is healing the
brokenhearted and binding up wounds for Israel, He is bringing
healing and restoration to my life, for the Lord will not forsake His
people. Amen.
WFW-21/2 (transcript)
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March 29
Showing Mercy to Israel

t is important for us all to acknowledge the truth of what Jesus said

to the Samaritan woman at the well: Salvation is of the Jews (John
4:22). Without the Jews, we would have no patriarchs, no prophets,
no apostles, no Bibleand no Savior! Without all these, how much
salvation would we receive? None! The Bible makes it clear that God
requires the Christians of all other nations to acknowledge their debt
to the Jews and to do what they can to repay it. In Romans 11:3031,
Paul summed up what he had been saying about the debt and the
responsibility of the Gentile Christians toward Israel.
For as you [Gentiles] were once disobedient to God, yet have now
obtained mercy through their [Israels] disobedience, even so these
[Israelites] also have now been disobedient, that through the
mercy shown you [Gentiles] they [Israel] also may obtain mercy.
In other words, because of Gods mercy that has come to us Gentile Christians through Israel, God requires us in our turn to show
mercy to Israel. How shall we fulfill this obligation? The following are
four practical ways that we may do so.
First, we can cultivate and express an attitude of sincere love for
Jewish people.
Second, we can enjoy and demonstrate the abundance of Gods
blessings in Christ in such a way that the Jews may be made jealous
and desire what they see us enjoying.
Third, we can seek the good of Israel through our prayers and
petitions, as the Bible exhorts us to do. (See Romans 10:1.)
Fourth, we can seek to repay our debt to Israel by performing
practical acts of kindness and mercy.
that nation now. I acknowledge my debt to the Jews, and I proclaim
that I will repay it in practical ways, as well as by showing mercyfor
the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.
Our Debt to Israel (booklet)
March
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March 30
Favor for Zion

he Lord says that the regathering of Israel in our day is a banner

raised by Him for the nations. Events in Israel and the Middle East
today are at the center of world attention and media coverage. This
period of Israels regathering at the end of the age was marked out
clearly on Gods great prophetic calendar three thousand years ago.
Here is one of the passages that make this clear:
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show
favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear
to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations
will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will
revere your glory. For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in
his glory.Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.

(Psalm 102:1316, 18 niv)
Now is Gods appointed time to have mercy on Zion and to show

favor to her. This is not something that Zion or the Jewish people have
earned, but something that comes out of Gods sovereign grace and
mercy. One of the main purposes of what God is doing is to bring glory
to His own name in the sight of all the nations by fulfilling His promises to Israel. The rebuilding of Zion is one of the great biblical signs
that the time is at hand for the Lord to appear in His glory. We have
the great privilege of living in the time that the psalmist here foresaw.
I believe we are the ones being created as a people in response to what
God is doing for one supreme purpose: to bring praise to the Lord.
that nation now. I proclaim that God is bringing glory to His own
name by fulfilling His promises to Israel, for the Lord will not forsake
His people. Amen.
The Drama of the Middle East, Part 1 (audio)
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March 31
God of Covenant
n Psalm 89:34, God said, My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter
the utterance of My lips (nasb). It is of tremendous importance that
we grasp the fact that when God makes a covenant, He will never
break it. We need to know that.
Our Bible consists of two covenants: the old and the new. Therefore, the essence of divine revelation is centered in covenant. If God
were to break His covenant, we would have no hope. It is my personal
conviction that if God were to break His covenant with Israel, we
would have no reason to believe that He would not break His covenant
with the church. You may say, Well, Israel failed God. Undoubtedly.
But can you honestly say that the church has not also failed God?
I am not capable of presenting Gods point of view, but in my limited understanding, I see Israel receiving a covenant and failing dismally. I see the church receiving a covenant and failing even worse
than Israel. What is God saying to us about the restoration of Israel?
I suggest that God is saying at least four things, all of them extremely
topical, relevant, and important for the church of Jesus Christ.
First, God is saying that the Bible is a true, relevant, up-to-date
book.
Second, God is saying that He keeps His covenant.
Third, God is saying to us that He is sovereign.
The fourth thing the Lord is saying is that in restoring the Israelites to their land, God has set the stage for the last act of the drama of
this age. Every prophecy that relates to the close of this age is predicated on one important factorthe presence of Israel as a sovereign
nation within its own borders.
that nation now. I proclaim that God keeps His covenants, for the
Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.
Perspective for a Decade: Israel, Gods Banner to the Nations (New Wine article)
March
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A pril 1
God Demands a Response

believe that God requires a response from His believing people

regarding what He is doing in Israel and the Middle East. We are not
permitted to remain neutral, apathetic, or indifferent. God demands
a response. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet told us what the
Lord commands us to do:
Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost [or chief] of the
nations. Make your praises heard, and say, O Lord, save your
people, the remnant of Israel.
(Jeremiah 31:78 niv)
The New American Standard Bible reads, Proclaim, give praise,

and say (verse 7). Combining these two versions, I find there are five
responses that God requires. In a sense, they are all vocal: sing, shout,
praise, proclaim, and say (or pray).
What are we responding to? The regathering of the remnant of
Jacob. To whom is this command addressed? The church, we who
believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that we ought to obey
it.
God is asking us to intercede for Israel. He is saying, I am restoring My people. I am regathering them, and I am asking you to unite
with Me and My purposes through prayer. I think we must all face
this as one of the mysterious facts about God: when He intends to do
something, He will say to His people, Pray that I will do it. In other
words, He says, This is My intention, but it will not happen until you
pray.
As Christians, we have a tremendous responsibility to be totally
committed to the outworking of Gods purposes in history.
that nation now. I proclaim that the Lord is restoring and regathering
His people, and I join my prayers with other believers prayers. The
Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.
Perspective for a Decade: Israel, Gods Banner to the Nations (New Wine article)
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Week 14:
Jesus was punished
that we might be forgiven.
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten
by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by
His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:45
A pril 2
Punished for Our Peace

Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.
remember once talking to a Jewish man who told me why he didnt

believe that Jesus was the Messiah: He couldnt have been a good
man; God would never have let Him suffer like that. And that is
exactly what the prophet Isaiah said: We esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4). But verse 5 says, He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised [crushed niv] for our
iniquities; the chastisement [punishment niv] for our peace was upon
Him, and by His stripes [wounds niv] we are healed.
Two major transactions are mentioned in those verses. The punishment due to our wrongdoing came upon Jesus so that we might be forgiven and have peace. Until the punishment for sin had been inflicted,
there was no possibility of peace. Lets look at another passage in Ephesians where Paul was speaking about what took place on the cross:
He Himself is our peace, who has made both [Jew and Gentile] one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself
one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He
might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross,
thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached
peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

(Ephesians 2:1417, emphasis added)
Notice the emphasis on the word peace. There can be no peace

for the sinner until he knows that his sins have been forgiven. Jesus
was punished so that we might have peace with God through forgiveness. (See also Colossians 1:1920.)
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I proclaim that Jesus
was punished that we might be forgiven, so I might have peace with
God through being forgiven. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 1: The Exchange Introduced (audio)
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A pril 3
Redeemed!
n the cross, Jesus was identified with everything evil that we

have ever done. In return, we were totally forgiven and delivered
from the power of evil.
In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7). When
we have forgiveness of sins, we have redemption; we have been
redeemed. Redeem means to buy back, or to ransom. Through the
payment of His blood, given as a sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus bought
us back from Satan for God.
In Romans 7, Paul said something that is not always clear to
people who are not familiar with the cultural context of his day: I
am carnal, sold under sin (verse 14). Remember that the phrase sold
under sin relates to the Roman slave market. Someone being sold as
a slave had to stand on a block, and from a post behind him, a spear
was extended over his head. So, Paul said, I am carnal, sold under the
spear of my sin, which is extended over my head. I have no options.
Im for sale.
When a person is a slave, he has no choices. Again, two women
may be sold in the same market; the owner makes one a cook, the
other a prostitute. The same is true with us as sinners. We may be
good, respectable sinners and look down on prostitutes and addicts.
But it is the slave owner who determines the slaves service.
The good news is that Jesus walked into the slave market and
said, Ill buy her; Ill buy him. Satan, Ive paid the price. These are
now My son and daughter. That is redemption, and it comes only
through the forgiveness of sins.
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I proclaim that Jesus
bought me back from Satan to God. He was punished that I might be
forgiven. Amen.
Atonement, Vol. 1: A Divinely Ordained Exchange (audio)
April
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A pril 4
Our Need for Forgiveness

hat makes the word forgiveness so special and beautiful? Well,

consider some of the results that flow from forgiveness: reconciliation, peace, harmony, understanding, fellowship. Or consider
some of the consequences that flow from our failure to forgive and
be forgiven: bitterness, strife, disharmony, hatred, war. At times, it
seems as if the human race is in danger of being overwhelmed by these
evil, negative forces. We can escape this terrible fate only as we learn
and apply the principles of forgiveness.
Let us remember that two directions of forgiveness are represented
in the Bible. They are well portrayed by the symbol of our Christian
faith, the cross, which has two beamsone vertical and one horizontal. These beams represent the two directions of forgiveness: the vertical beam represents the forgiveness we need to receive from God; the
horizontal beam represents the forgiveness we need to receive from
others, as well as the forgiveness we must extend. The grace for this
kind of forgiveness comes only through the cross.
The kind of forgiveness we need and can receive from God is set
forth most beautifully in Psalm 32:12, where David said, Blessed is
he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the
man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is
no deceit (niv).
Again, the Bible does not talk about a man who does not need
forgiveness. It clearly indicates that all of us need forgiveness from
God. There are no exceptions. Other psalms tell us there is no man
who does not sin. (See, for example, Psalm 14:13; 53:13.) We have
all sinned. Therefore, we all need forgiveness.
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I admit my own need
for forgiveness, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished that I might be
forgiven. Amen.
Forgiveness (audio)
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A pril 5
Healing through Forgiveness

Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against
him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
(Psalm 32:2 niv)
To receive forgiveness, we must be absolutely honest with God
not covering up or excusing our sins or holding anything back. Referring to when he was found guilty of committing adultery and murder
in the matter of Bathsheba, David continued in his psalm,
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning
all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my
strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I
will confess my transgressions to the Lordand you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
(verses 35 niv)
Like many people, David refused to admit his sin and tried to
pretend it never happened, covering it up. But all the time he was like
a man with a burning fever. His strength was sapped and his bones
wasted away. Unforgiven sin can produce physical results.
A psychiatrist related this story to me. While visiting a hospital,
he met a woman who was in a hopeless condition. Her kidneys had
ceased to function, her skin was discolored, and she was in a coma,
simply waiting to die. One day, he was prompted by the Holy Spirit
to say, In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I remit your sins, later
wondering if he had done something foolish. About a week later, he
was amazed to see the woman walking down the streetcompletely
healed. Unforgiven sin had caused her physical condition. When her
sins were forgiven through this mans intercession, her spirit was
clear with God and the way was open for her to be healed.
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I ask for the physical
healing that comes from being forgiven, and I proclaim that Jesus was
punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.
Forgiveness (audio)
April
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A pril 6
Forgiven as We Forgive
n the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us to pray, Forgive us

our debts [trespasses], as we forgive our debtors [those who trespass
against us] (Matthew 6:12). This petition says, in other words, Forgive us as we forgive. Remember that in the same proportion that
you forgive others, God will forgive you. If you totally forgive others,
God will totally forgive you. But if you only partly forgive others, God
will only partly forgive you.
One major reason that many Christians do not receive answers
to prayer is their failure to forgive others, usually one specific person.
In my experiences with counseling people, I have found unforgiveness to be a common source of blockage in their spiritual lives. I once
asked a woman whom I was counseling, Is there anybody you havent
forgiven? She said, Yes and went on to specify a distinguished person in the United States Department of Justice. I said, If you want
release, you will have to forgive him. There is no alternative. If you
dont forgive him, God does not forgive you.
Are we willing to forgive? We may think, I dont know if I can.
God may also say, I dont know if I can. We had better make up our
minds. Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a decision. I call this tearing up the IOU. Somebody might owe us thirty thousand dollars, but
we could owe God six million dollars. If we want Him to tear up His
IOU, we must first tear up ours.
That is Gods unvarying law. It is built into the Lords Prayer. And
the last petition in the Lords Prayer is a petition for deliverance from
the evil one, Satan. We have no right to pray for deliverance until we
have forgiven others as we would have God forgive us.
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I declare my
willingness to forgive others, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished
that I might be forgiven. Amen.
Praying to Change History: Seven Basic Conditions for Answered Prayer (audio)
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A pril 7
Remembering His Benefits

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His
holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
(Psalm 103:12)
ere we observe Davids spirit telling his soul what to do. Davids
spirit knew what ought to be done, but it could not happen until
Davids soul cooperated with his spirit and responded to the challenge.
Lets briefly enumerate the benefits that we are cautioned not to
forget. Many Christians do not enjoy these benefits because they fail
to remember them. Six specific benefits of God are listed in the next
three verses:
Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who
redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good
things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. (verses 35)
God forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems
our lives from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our mouths with good things, and renews our
youth like the eagles. I believe there is a close connection between
having your mouth filled with good things and having your youth
renewed like the eagles.
I am convinced that it is not the will of God for His people to
grow old the way the world grows old. I do not mean that there will
not be any change produced by advancing in age, but that aging does
not need to be a time of failure, misery, and sickness.
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I will remember all
Your benefits, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished that I might be
forgiven. Amen.
Decision, Not Emotion (audio)
April
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A pril 8
Escaping from the Curse

n seeking the release from a curse, one main requirement is to confess any known sins committed by yourself or your ancestors, for it
may be that it was the sin of your ancestors that exposed you, as one
of their descendants, to the curse. Even though you do not bear the
guilt of their sin, you do suffer the consequences of their sin. To escape
from the curse, you need to deal with the sin that exposed you or your
ancestors to the curse. You do this by confessing the sin and asking
God to forgive and blot it out. Proverbs 28:13 says, He who covers his
sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have
mercy. If you cover sin, you will not prosper or be blessed. However,
if you confess your sin and forsake it, then you will have Gods mercy
and redemption from the curse. Again, you must also forgive all other
persons. Jesus said,
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may
forgive you your transgressions.
(Mark 11:25 nasb)
This is very important. Jesus makes it clear that if we hold unforgiveness, bitterness, or resentment in our hearts when we pray, we
erect barriers to the answer to our prayers. It will keep us under the
curse. By a decision of our wills, when we pray, we must lay down any
kind of resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness against any person.
In the measure in which we forgive others, God forgives us. If we want
total forgiveness from God, we must offer total forgiveness to others.
This is not being super-spiritual; forgiving other people means that
youre exercising what I call enlightened self-interest.
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I proclaim that by
taking these steps, I am released from any curse, because Jesus was
punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.
From Curse to Blessing (booklet)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 15:
Jesus was wounded
that we might be healed.
He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
A pril 9
Total Salvation
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.
eing born again is an experience of unique importance. Unless you

are born again, you cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. (See
John 3:35.) But it is not a one-time experience; rather, salvation is
an ongoing process. Part of salvation is being baptized. I dont want to
stir up controversy, but you can be born again without being baptized.
If you want to be saved, however, baptism is a key part of the process,
for He who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16).
Being saved means much more than just getting your soul ready
for heaven. Someone once said, The evangelical concept of salvation
is to get souls prepackaged for heaven. That may be so, to a degree,
but salvation includes a lot more than being prepackaged for heaven.
I want to examine a passage from the New Testament in which
the writer used the Greek word for to save, which is sozo. If we look
at where this word appears in the Scriptures, it will give us an idea of
what is included in salvation.
The book of Matthew speaks about Jesus ministry to the sick,
saying, Theybrought to Him all who were sick.And as many as
touched it [His garment] were made perfectly well [whole kjv] (Matthew 14:3536). The verb used for well or whole is sozo, but it
is preceded by a Greek preposition that means thoroughly. To be
thoroughly saved is to be perfectly healed. This passage is not talking solely about the condition of the soul; it is also talking about those
who are sick. And as many as touched Jesus were totally saved. How
total is our salvation?
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that for me
to be thoroughly saved is to be perfectly healed and that Jesus was
wounded that I might be healed. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 1: Salvation Is All-inclusive (audio)
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A pril 10
Healing and Salvation

ets look at some places in Scripture where the Greek word sozo
meaning salvationis used. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus met
a blind man named Bartimaeus on the road to Jericho. (See Mark
10:4652.) Jesus answered and said to him, What do you want Me to do
for you? The blind man said to Him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight
(Mark 10:51).
The blind beggar, Bartimaeus, had a one-track mind. All he
wanted was to get his sight, and get it he did. Then, Jesus said to him,
Go your way; your faith has made you well. And immediately he received
his sight and followed Jesus on the road (verse 52). The literal Greek
translation of Jesus words reads, Your faith has saved you. Thats
salvation.
In Luke 8:4348, we read about the woman with the issue of
blood who came behind Jesus and touched Him. She did not want
to be recognized, however, because according to Jewish law, anyone
with an issue of blood was unclean and was not free to touch anybody.
This woman was embarrassed, but she was so desperate for healing
that she defied the Law.
Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came
trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in
the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him
and how she was healed immediately. And He [Jesus] said to her,
Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well [sozo].
Go in peace.
(verses 4748)
How wonderful! Being healed from blindness and from an issue

of blood are both parts of salvation.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross and that my healing is
a part of salvation. I proclaim that Jesus was wounded that I might be
healed. Amen.
April
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A pril 11
Giving Thanks
here is tremendous potential in giving thanks. Not only does it

release the miracle-working power of God, but also after Gods
miracle-working power has been set in operation, giving thanks sets
the seal on the blessings received.
As he [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met
him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, Jesus,
Master, have pity on us! When he saw them, he said, Go, show
yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God
in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him
and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, Were not all ten cleansed?
Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give
praise to God except this foreigner? Then he said to him, Rise and
go; your faith has made you well.
(Luke 17:1219 niv)
All ten lepers were healed physically. But something extra happened to the one who returned to give thanks. Jesus said, Rise and
go; your faith has made you well. The word for well in Greek is sozo,
meaning to save. Again, it nearly always indicates something more
than mere physical or temporary provision from God. It is the allinclusive word for salvation.
There was one important difference between the lepers. Nine
were healed in an exclusively physical sense. The tenth, who came
back to give thanks to God, was healed not only physically, but also
spirituallyhis soul was saved. He was brought into a right, eternal
relationship with God. The nine others received a partial, temporary
blessing; the tenth received total, permanent blessing. The difference
was the giving of thanks.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that giving
thanks brings total, permanent blessing and that Jesus was wounded
that I might be healed. Amen.
Thanksgiving (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
A pril 12
He Bore Our Sicknesses

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we
esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His
stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:45)
his translation is not literal, and it has consequently deprived millions of English-speaking believers of their physical rights in Christ.
Still, there is no doubt as to the correct meaning of these words. Griefs
should be sicknesses; sorrows should be pains. They are basic
Hebrew root words, used with these meanings in the days of Moses and
having the same meanings today. This is stated clearly in Scripture:
[Jesus] cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were
sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities and bore our
sicknesses.
(Matthew 8:1617)
[He] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes
you were healed.
(1 Peter 2:24)
We see that Matthew and Peter, Jews alike who knew Hebrew
and were inspired by the Holy Spirit, gave the correct meanings to
those words of Isaiah. If you combine these passages from Matthew
and Peter, you get three statements taken from Isaiah 53:45 about
the physical and spiritual realms. Physical realm: He took our infirmities; He bore our sicknesses; we are healed. Spiritual realm: He was
wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the
punishment that procured our peace was upon Him.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. Jesus took my
infirmitiesmy sicknessesand healed me. Jesus was wounded that
I might be healed. Amen.
Full Salvation and How to Enter In, Part 1 (audio)
April
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A pril 13
Removing Barriers to Healing

ften, issues within the hearts and lives of Gods people act as barriers to healing. Seven common such barriers are: (1) ignorance
of Gods Word (see Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6); (2) unbelief (see Hebrews
3:1213); (3) unconfessed sin (see Proverbs 28:13); (4) resentment
and unforgiveness toward others (see Mark 11:2526); (5) occult
involvement (see Exodus 23:2426); (6) unscriptural covenants, i.e.,
Freemasonry (see Exodus 23:3133); and (7) the effects of a curse
(see Deuteronomy 28:1568). Sometimes sicknesses are caused by,
or associated with, the presence of evil spirits. Lets look at just one
example from the gospel of Luke.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick
with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His
hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons [evil
spirits] also came out of many, crying out.
(Luke 4:4041)
When the supernatural power of God comes into operation, evil

spirits cannot stand it any longer; they have to come out.
There are different ways in which evil spirits are associated with
sickness. There are spirits of infirmity, pain, crippling, and death, to
name only four. Jesus encountered a woman who was bent double
and could not stand up straight. Rather than treat her condition as a
physical ailment, He said that she had been bound by a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Then, He loosed her from the spirit, and she
immediately straightened up. (See Luke 13:1113.)
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that when
Gods supernatural power comes into operation, all barriers to healing
fall because Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.
Invisible Barriers to Healing (audio)
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A pril 14
Healing for All

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were
demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and
healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.
(Matthew 8:1617)
atthew used two words for physical problems: infirmities and

sicknesses. To distinguish between them, we could define infirmities as weaknessesthe things we are liable to, such as allergic
reactions and bee stings; sicknesses we could define as actual diseases,
such as cholera or influenza.
Matthew wrote that the healing ministry of Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah 53, emphasizing that Jesus healed all. Why? Because
in the eternal counsel of God, He had already taken our sicknesses
and borne our pains. That is good news! If the church really believed
that, evangelism would be pretty simple.
Going to Pakistan was a revealing experience for me because the
population is 98 percent Muslim. We had as many as 16,000 people
in our meetings without much advertising. Why? Because we prayed
for the sickand they were healed. Not all of them, more like just a
few of them. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked. Believe
me, there is no problem getting a crowd when healings occur. It is the
number one method in the New Testament to attract people.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that by
Jesus sacrifice, Gods healing is available to all, myself included,
because Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 1: The Exchange Introduced (audio)
April
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A pril 15
Appropriating Healing
n 1943, I was sick and spent many months in the hospital. A woman
from the Salvation Army came to visit and pray for me. At that time,
I received this word from God: Consider the work of Calvary; a perfect workperfect in every respect, perfect in every aspect. I have
been considering this statement ever since, and I have only touched
the fringe of what took place at the cross. It is a perfect work. From
whatever aspect we view the cross, it is finished. Whatever type of
help we need, it is settled forever at the cross.
That sounds easy, you may say, but how can we appropriate
it? On the subject of healing, many people wonder, How can I know
whether its Gods will to heal?
If we are children of God, we are asking the wrong question.
Healing is the childrens bread. Jesus said, It is not good to take the
childrens bread and throw it to the little dogs [unbelievers] (Matthew
15:26). The Syro-Phoenician woman had the right answer: Lord, I
dont need a loaf. Just give me a crumb and itll get the demon out
of my daughter. That woman really had faitha lot more than the
children who had the whole loaf offered them and were still sick! A
father may not be able to give his family ice cream or T-bone steaks,
but every father has an obligation to provide bread. God the Father
has put the childrens bread on the tableyours and mine.
I rephrase the question in this way: How may I appropriate the
healing that is already provided? For the believer, healing and the
atonement are never in the future. It is now up to us to appropriate our inheritance. All is provided for us in the testamentthe will
sealed by the death of Jesus.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I am
now appropriating the perfect work of Jesus on Calvaryfor Jesus
was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.
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Week 16:
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness
that we might be made righteous
with His righteousness.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
A pril 16
A Clear Exchange
that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.
He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

od made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Jesus. The exchange there
is very clear: Jesus was made sin so that we might become righteousness. Notice that it is not by our own righteousness that we are made
righteous, but by the righteousness of God. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus
said, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you.
The only righteousness acceptable in heaven is the righteousness of God received through faith in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 64:6 reads,
We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy
rags. This verse does not say that all our sins are like filthy rags, but
that all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Even the best efforts
we make to be religiousto please God and serve Him in our own
strengthare but filthy rags. These filthy rags do not fit us for the
courts of heaven. God requires that we put away those filthy rags of
our own righteousness. We must cease from relying on our own good
works and religious activities, acknowledging that we are sinful. We
must believe that Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness on the cross
so that we, in turn, might be made righteous with His righteousness.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I put
away my own righteousness and seek Gods righteousness instead,
because Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made
righteous with His righteousness. Amen.
Atonement (audio)
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A pril 17
The Lords Decision

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him [Jesus]; He has put Him to
grief.
(Isaiah 53:10)
here is nothing wrong with the translation of this verse, but the
word pleased does not accurately represent our modern usage of
the term. It means it was the Lords decision, or purpose. For instance,
a criminal in Britain is sentenced by the judge to be detained for the
queens pleasure. Its not that the queen takes pleasure in the detention of the criminal, but that she considers it necessary. Historically,
this phrase goes back to the Elizabethan period in England. So, when
Scripture says it pleased the Lord, it does not mean the Lord took
pleasure in bruising His Son, but rather that it was the Lords decision, it was His purpose. He saw fit to do it; He saw that it was necessary.
The Hebrew language is so condensed that it is almost impossible
to translate it completely and accurately into another language. There
are only about four Hebrew words in the first two lines of that verse.
Where it says It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief,
the best translation I can find is unto sickness or to make Him
sickness by bruising Him. The word translated put Him to grief
(chalah) occurs also in Micah 6:13. God was speaking to rebellious,
stubborn Israel, saying, Therefore also I will make you sick [chalah] by
striking you. There, the New King James Version has translated it by
the correct, literal word.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that the
Lord made Jesus sickness by smiting Him and that Jesus was made
sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His
righteousness. Amen.
April
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A pril 18
The Perfect Offering

t was the Lords pleasure to make Jesus sick, or to make Him sickness by bruising Him. Jesus was bruised unto sickness, physically.
His body was crushed, marred, mutilatedwhatever word you want
to use. He became total sickness on the cross.
When You [God] make His [Jesus] soul an offering for sin, He
shall see His seed.
(Isaiah 53:10)
Where the English says an offering for sin, the Hebrew uses only
one word, asham, which means guilt, sin, or sin offering. In the
language of the Old Testament, the same word was used for both guilt
and guilt offering. Why? Because under the Levitical law, when the sacrificial animal was brought as a sin offering, the man whose sin was
being atoned for laid his hands on the head of the animal and confessed
his sin over that animal, thereby symbolically transferring his sin to
the animal. In that way, the sin offering became sin with the mans sin.
Then, the animal was dealt with; instead of the man being killed, the
animal was.
All this, of course, is representative of the death of Christ. The
writer of Hebrews said it was not possible for the blood of bulls or
goats to take away sins. (See Hebrews 10:4.) The sacrificial system was
just a picture leading up to the transaction that was fulfilled on the
cross. But here, speaking about the actual event, the Scripture says
that God made the soul of Jesus to be sin. That is the real meaning
of make His soul an offering for sin. The apostle Paul confirmed this
point when he quoted Isaiah 53:10 in this passage: For He made Him
who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him (2Corinthians 5:21).
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that Jesus
was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with
His righteousness. Amen.
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A pril 19
Complete Provision
od, through the cross, has dealt with the problem of guilt. He
has made complete provision for the past; He forgave us all our
sins (Colossians 2:13 niv). Through the death of Jesus Christ on our
behalfthrough our Representative, who carried our guilt and paid
our penaltyGod is able to forgive every one of our sinful acts without compromising His own justice, because His justice has been satisfied by the death of Christ. We need to understand that all our past
sinful acts, no matter how numerous or how serious, have been forgiven when we put our faith in Jesus.
God not only has made complete provision for the past, but also
has made complete provision for the future, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed
to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (verse 14 niv).
The written code is the law of Moses. On the cross, Jesus did
away with the law of Moses as a means of obtaining righteousness
with God. As long as the law was the requirement for righteousness,
every time we broke even one of the most minor requirements, we
were guilty before God. But when the law was taken out of the way,
provision was made for us to live free from guilt because our faith is
now reckoned to us as righteousness. As Paul wrote, For Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4
nasb). Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who
believesJew or Gentile, Catholic or Protestant, it makes no difference. He is the end of the law as a means to achieve righteousness with
God. We are not required to keep the law in order to be righteous.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that God
has made complete provision for past, present, and future sins,
because Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made
righteous with His righteousness. Amen.
Spiritual Warfare: The Nature of War (audio)
April
133
A pril 20
The Romans Recipe

ets now look at the Romans Recipe of Romans 6. The word recipe
evokes the image of a cookbook. If we Christians used the Bible in
the same simple, practical way that chefs use cookbooks, we would
find that Gods recipes always work. The Romans Recipe is Gods way
of making the truths of the gospel work in our lives.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may
increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or dont you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with
him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may
live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death,
we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we
know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of
sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to
sinbecause anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if
we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For
we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die
again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he
died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

(Romans 6:110 niv)
The outcome of this recipe is tremendous: sin shall not be your
mastersin will no longer dominate or control you. Deliverance from
sin and all its evil consequences comes through our identification with
Jesus Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that sin shall
not be my masterbecause Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness
that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.
Identification, Part 4 (audio)
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A pril 21
Entering into Life

oday, we will look more closely at the ingredients of the Romans

Recipe. Romans 6 (niv) presents successive points of identification. First, we died to sin (verse 1) when Jesus died, and we identify
ourselves with His death. When Jesus was crucified, our old self
(verse 6), the rebel nature we inherited from Adam, was also crucified. Second, we wereburied with him (verse 4). By baptism into His
death, we died and were buried with Him. Third, we are united with
him in his resurrection (verse 5). Following Him through death and
burial, we move out into His resurrection life, sharing His life with
Him. The practical, successive consequences of this identification
with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection are as follows:
1. The body of sin [is] done away with (verse 6). The corrupt, evil nature
that enslaved us and made us do wrong even when we desired to
do right is rendered powerless. It has been put to death.
2. Consequently, we are no longerslaves to sin (verse 6). Sin no
longer compels us to do harmful, destructive things that will
ultimately bring disaster upon us, on earth and in eternity.
3. Then, we are freed from sin (verse 7). We are literally justified,
or acquitted. Jesus paid the final penalty for our sin; there is
no more to pay. Having been released from the power and guilt
of sin, we now have good consciences and can stand before the
throne of almighty God without fear.
4. Finally, we will also live with him [Christ] (verse 8). What a tremendous promise! We will share His eternal resurrection life. He
died once to sin; He cannot die again. He lives forever to God,
and we enter into that eternal life.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that by
my identification with Jesus, I am no longer a slave to sin. Jesus was
made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His
April
135
A pril 22
We Will Be Delivered
he next part of the Romans Recipe, the practical how-to, is found

in Romans 6:1113.
First, count yourselves dead (verse 11). The Bible says we are
deadbelieve it! Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). Paul saw Christs
crucifixion and death as his own. He thought that way and talked
that way, reckoning it true. We must do the same.
Steps two and three are negative admonitions: Do not let sin
reign in your mortal body (verse 12) and Do not offer the parts of your
body to sin (verse 13). Before, we could not help yielding to sin; now,
we have a choice. There is a power in us greater than sin. We have been
liberated, justified. However, we must exercise our wills. When temptation comes, we must firmly and finally say, No! I will not yield my
body or my members! I do not yield to you, Satan; I belong to Jesus.
Step four is positive: Offer yourselves to God (verse 13). We cannot be independent agents and remain free from sin. We must choose
to serve God rather than Satan, offering ourselves as sacrifices to God,
giving all we are and all we haveholding nothing back. Next, Paul
said, Offer the parts of your body to him [God] (verse 13). Yield every
part of your body to God for Him to use as He wants for His glory.
The result is that sin shall not be your master (verse 14). We are
set free from shame, degradation, agonyall the evils sin brings. If
we follow the Romans Recipeworking through our identification
with Jesus in death, burial, and resurrectionwe will be delivered.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that through
identification with Jesus, I will be deliveredbecause Jesus was
made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His
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Week 17:
Jesus died our death
that we might receive His life.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than
the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with
glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might
taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2:9
A pril 23
Atonement: The Hub

Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.
o illustrate the role of the atonement in the total message of the

gospel, consider the structure of a wheel, which has three basic
sections: the outer circle, the spokes, and the hub. In this picture, the
outer circle represents Gods complete provision for every area of our
livesspiritual, physical, and financial, for time and through eternity.
The spokes that support the outermost circle of the wheel are ways in
which God makes provision. For instance, He makes provision through
forgiveness (peace), healing (health), deliverance (liberty), sanctification (holiness), and so forth. Now, without the central hub, the spokes
have nothing to support them. Also, through the hub comes the driving power to turn the wheel. In Gods provision, the atonement is the
center hub, supplying the power for the Christian life.
From Hebrews 2:9, we learn that by the grace of God, Jesus tasted
death for everyone. He took our place; that which was due to us came
upon Him. Isaiah 53:6 says, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6).
Iniquity also means rebellion. The rebellion of the entire
human race is summed up in that phrase. We have turned our backs
on God and gone our own waysset our own standards, pleased
ourselves, lived for ourselves. We have been rebellious, but the Lord
placed on Jesus the rebellion of us all; all of our rebellion was concentrated on Him. As He hung on the cross, all the evil consequences of
our rebellion came upon Him: sickness, rejection, pain, agony, and,
finally, death. But He did not die for Himself. He died our deaths. He
tasted death in our place.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I turn
from my rebellion, and that Jesus tasted death in my placebecause
Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.
Victory over Death, Part 1 (audio)
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A pril 24
His Suffering for Us

saiah 53 gives us a detailed prophetic description of the suffering of

Jesus, written more than seven hundred years before it took place.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His
mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that
is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By
oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the
living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was
due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a
rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was
there any deceit in His mouth.
(Isaiah 53:79 nasb)
These details were accurately fulfilled in the sufferings and death

of Jesus. First, the Gospels emphasized several times that Jesus
made no attempt to answer His accusers, justify Himself, or plead
His own cause. (See, for example, Mark 15:35.) Unjust accusation
and an unfair trial led to His death, and He was cut off out of the land
of the living.
The details of His burial are also amazingly accurate: His grave
was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.
We move from the plural with wicked men to the singular a rich
man. Historically, we find that Jesus was taken down for burial with
two thieves who were hung on either side of Him, but then He was
buried in the tomb of a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea.
Isaiah emphasizes that it was not for His own sin or guilt that
Jesus died. He was totally innocent, yet He died the death of a criminal.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that You
suffered and died for methat Jesus died my death that I might
receive His life. Amen.
April
139
A pril 25
Our Amazing Representative

ets look at some Scriptures that speak about how Christ identified
Himself with the human race and expiated its guilt.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds
the power of deaththat is, the deviland free those who all
their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

(Hebrews 2:1415 niv)
When Adam rebelled, instead of being a king, he became a

slavebound by Satan, death, and corruption. He was no longer free.
But in order to deliver human beings from that slavery, Jesus took
upon Himself the form of humanity, the Adamic nature. He took
upon Himself the same flesh and blood that you and I have so that by
His death, He might destroy the one who holds the power of death
that is, the deviland free all those of us who all our lives were held
in slavery by the fear of death. On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself
the fallen nature of human beings and their sins. This is also stated
in 1 Peter 2:24: He himself [Jesus] bore our sins in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you
have been healed (niv).
On the cross, Jesus became completely identified with our sin
and our guilt. He became the last great guilt offering that took away
the sin and guilt of the human race. He bore our sin and our punishment. Our wounds became His wounds, and He died our deaths. He
expiated that guilt of rebellion as our representative, the last Adam,
hanging on the cross, shedding His lifeblood, giving Himself totally
to redeem us.
gave Yourself totally to redeem me, and that Jesus died my death that
I might receive His life. Amen.
Pride vs. Humility, Part 1 (audio)
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A pril 26
Identifying with Jesus

ooking beyond Christs identification with us, we find that, in turn,

through faith and repentance, we can be identified with Christnot
only in His death, but also in His subsequent exaltation.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up
with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in
Christ Jesus.
(Ephesians 2:46 niv)
This is the opposite side of identification. First, Jesus identified
Himself with us, the fallen race. He took our place, paid our penalty,
and died our death. He expiated our guilt. Then, as we identify ourselves with Him and His death in faith, we are also identified with
Him in all that follows His death. Three great steps of our identification with Jesus are stated in Ephesians 2:46. First, Godmade us
alive with Christ. Second, God raised us up with Christ. He resurrected
us with Christ. But it doesnt stop there. Third, Godseated us with
Him in the heavenly realms. God seated us with Christ on His throne.
He enthroned us in Christ.
Notice those three upward steps of identification with Jesus: we
are made alive with Him, resurrected with Him, and enthroned with
Him. The way up is down; from the lowest, we go to the highest. God
exalts the lowest to the highest, and this principle runs all through
Scripture. It is not just a matter of history but the outworking of a
universal law: Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled. (See Matthew 23:12 niv.)
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I
humble myself before God, identifying myself with Jesus to be made
alive with Him, resurrected with Him and enthroned with Him
because Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.
Pride vs. Humility, Part 1 (audio)
April
141
A pril 27
Hidden with Christ

hen we are first confronted with the cross, we tend to recoil. But
the cross of Jesus is the door to a secret place that no animal
can find, no bird can see, and all the rest of creation does not know.
(See Job 28:78.) It is in the spiritual realm. Paul said,
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died,
and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who
is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

(Colossians 3:14 niv)
The key phrase, your life is now hidden with Christ in God, is not
talking about the next world, but the here and now. Being hidden
with Christ in God means being in the secret place. The secret is that
when Jesus died, He did not die for Himself; He died for us as our
representative, taking our guilt and condemnation on Himself.
Based on our understanding by faith in Scripture, we know that
when Jesus died and was raised, we died and were raised. We passed
through death into a realm the senses cannot discern and creatures
do not perceive. We are in Christ, and we are in God; nothing can
reach us unless it comes through God and through Christ. We are
here in the flesh, but our lives are not in this visible world. We may
go through many difficulties and pressures in these clay vessels, but
we have a life that is eternal, incorruptible, and indestructible. This
is total security. No matter what comes, in Christ we are in the secret
place of the Most High, protected from all harm and all danger. (See
Psalm 91:12.) And the door to the secret place is the cross.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that by the
cross, I have entered into the secret place of the Most High. I am
protected from all harm and danger, because Jesus died my death that
I might receive His life. Amen.
Where to Find Security, Part 2 (audio)
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A pril 28
Abundant, Eternal Life

esus called Himself the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14). The shepherds provision, as illustrated in Psalm 23, can be summed up in
one tremendous phrase: total security. But remember that all provision is measured by our commitment. When our commitment is total,
our security is total. If there are limits to our commitment, then we
do not enjoy the total security Jesus offers.
We can reinforce this Old Testament illustration by looking at
the words of Jesus in the New Testament: The thief comes only to steal,
and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly (John 10:10 nasb). Jesus was telling us the reason that
He came to earth. He summed it up in a simple phrase: that we might
have life. Not life in a small or limited way, but life abundantly. Life
overflowing. Life for every area of our being. Life more than sufficient
for every challenge and every pressure that comes against us.
Then, a little further on, Jesus used the phrase, eternal life:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and
I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one
shall snatch them out of My hand.
(John 10:2728 nasb)
Notice the central phrases: I give eternal life to them, and they
shall never perish. By this passage, we see that Jesus came so that we
might have eternal life, a life that stretches beyond this world. A life
that goes beyond the grave. A life that lasts for eternity. I once heard
somebody make this insightful comment: I believe that I shall live as
long as God lives because God has become my life. That is the kind of
life that Jesus came to offer us. His lifeeternally.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. By Your death, I have
abundant, eternal life, because Jesus died my death that I might
receive His life. Amen.
The Sheepfold (audio)
April
143
A pril 29
The Total Exchange

We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to
his own way.
(Isaiah 53:6)
his passage can be summarized in one word: rebellion. It is the common sin of all humanity. The prophet continued, And the Lord
has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all (verse 6). The word iniquity (Hebrew, avon) means rebellion, the punishment for rebellion,
and all the evil consequences of rebellion. On the cross, Jesusour
substitute, the last Adambecame the rebel with our rebellion and
endured all the evil consequences of rebellion.
This is the door to Gods treasure house, if we can grasp it. This
is the exchange: All the evil our rebellion deserved came upon Jesus
so that all the good He deservedbecause of His perfect obedience
might be offered to us. In whatever way we look at that exchange, it
was total. Jesus was punished so that we might be forgiven. He was
wounded so that we might be healed. He bore our sin so that we might
share His righteousness. He died our death so that we might share
His life. He was made a curse so that we might receive the blessing. He
endured our poverty so that we might share His abundance. He bore
our shame so that we might have His glory. He endured our rejection
so that we might have His acceptance.
Just picture the rebel on the cross and know that you are that rebelindeed, you should be hanging there. But Jesus took your place.
He not only bore your rebellion, but also bore all its evil consequences
so that you might enter into all the blessings of His perfect obedience.
That is grace at work. You cannot earn it, you did not deserve it, and
you had no claim upon it. There is only one way to receive it, and that
is by faith. Just believe.
died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 18:
Jesus was made a curse
that we might enter into the blessing.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,
having become a curse for us (for it is written,
Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree).
Galatians 3:13
A pril 30
The Reality of Blessings and Curses

Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.
hrist was made a curse on the cross so that we might qualify

for and receive the blessing. In order to receive this provision
God has made for us, it is necessary that we understand the nature of
blessings and curses. If we do not understand these two concepts, we
will not be able to avail ourselves of Gods provision.
Both blessings and curses are major themes of Scripture. The
word bless or blessing occurs more than 410 times in the Bible;
the word curse occurs nearly 160 times. In other words, the Bible has
a great deal to say about both. Both are absolutely realso real that
Jesus had to be made a curse so that we might be redeemed from the
curse and receive the blessing.
Some people are inclined to think that blessings are real but
curses are imaginary, or hypothetical. That is an illogical idea. If we
consider any pair of opposites, it stands to reason that if one is real,
the other must be real. Take day and night, for example. If day is real,
then night is also real. Heat and coldif heat is real, then cold is real.
Good and evilif good is real, then evil is real. We cannot accept one
and ignore the other. So it is with blessings and curses. Blessings are
real, and so are curses.
The Bible has much to teach us about the nature of blessings and
curses, how they operate, how to recognize a curse at work in your
life, and how to be delivered. If we remain ignorant, it will be to our
own cost. We will miss much of the total provision that God has made
for us through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross if we fail to
understand His exchange of blessing for curse.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim my belief
that blessings are real, and so are cursesso real that Jesus was made
a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.
From Curse to Blessing, Part 1 (audio)
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May 1
Redeemed from the Curse

ets consider the nature and scope of our redemption through

Christ. Our Scripture for today is Galatians 3:1314:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become
a curse for usfor it is written, Cursed is everyone who
hangs on a treein order that in Christ Jesus the blessing
of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith.
(nasb)
Paul was referring here to the law of Moses, detailed in the book
of Deuteronomy, where God said that everyone who is put to death by
hanging on a tree is under a curse. (The word tree also signifies a piece
of wood that makes a cross.) The evidence that such a person is under
the curse is that he is hanging visibly on a piece of wood.
In order to redeem us from the curse of the law, Christ became
a curse for us. This was demonstrated visibly when He hung on the
cross. It was necessary for Him to become a curse because the curse
of God follows all sin and disobedience against God.
The secret of what took place on the cross is that there was a
divinely ordained exchangesomething that could not be seen by
the natural eye, but could be perceived only through the revelation
of God through the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. Christ became a
curseHe took the curse due to our sin and disobedienceso that
we, in return, through faith in Him, might have access to the blessing
that was due to His sinless obedience.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that to
redeem me from the curse of the law, Christ became a curse for me.
Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.
Claiming Our Inheritance, Part 1 (audio)
May
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May 2
Common Indications of a Curse

have compiled a list of seven common manifestations of a curse.

Most curses do not concern one individual exclusively; rather, they
usually concern families or larger communities. The essential feature
of curses and blessings alike in the Bible is that they are passed down
from generation to generation unless something happens to cut them
off. I have dealt with people whose problems went back hundreds of
years in family history.
On the basis of my personal observation, here are seven indications that usually signify the presence of a curse over your life or your
family. If you experience only one of these, I would not say for sure
there is a curse. But if several of them show up in your family, in different areas and in multiple generations, you can be almost sure that
a curse is in place. These indications are the following: (1) mental and
emotional breakdown; (2) repeated or chronic sicknesses, especially if
they are hereditary; (3) repeated miscarriages or related female problems; (4) breakdown of marriage and family alienation, especially a
family history of them; (5) financial insufficiency, if it is ongoing; (6)
being known as accident-prone; and (7) having a family a history of
suicides or unnatural deaths.
We will not dwell on the problem, but we will affirm the solution.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that for
every indication of a curse in my life, Jesus death was the solution, for
Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.
The Exchange at the Cross (audio, video)
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May 3
Blessing in All Areas

want to revisit Galatians 3:1314 because I want you to absorb it.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the lawthat the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
But what was the blessing of Abraham? We do not need to speculate about that, because it is specifically revealed in Scripture.
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had
blessed Abraham in all things.
(Genesis 24:1)
This verse might give you the impression that Abraham was hobbling around with a cane, but it just says that he was well advanced
in age. It is pretty obvious that he was not hobbling around with a
cane because, quite a number of years later, he made a long journey to
Mount Moriah and came back again.
What is the blessing of Abraham? Abraham was blessed in all
things, so the blessing covers all things. In this connection, Paul said
that we must receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. I believe
this means that we can receive the blessing only through receiving
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the administrator of all our blessed
inheritance.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I receive
by faith the promise of the Holy Spiritthe blessing of Abraham,
covering all areas of my lifebecause Jesus was made a curse that I
might enter into the blessing. Amen.
Keys to Gods Abundance: The Conditions (audio)
May
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May 4
The Administrator of the Blessing

he Holy Spirit is the administrator of all the inheritance of the

blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:14). In Genesis 24, we find a
beautiful story to illustrate this truth. The story tells how Abraham
obtained a bride for his son Isaac. It is a very simple but beautiful
parable with four main characters, three of whom are the following:
Abraham, who represents God the Father; Isaac, Abrahams son, who
represents Gods only begotten Son, Jesus; and Rebekah, the bride,
who represents the church (the bride of Christ). There is one other
individual, and he is, in a sense, the main character. That character is
the nameless servant, who represents the Holy Spirit. If we read the
chapter with those personalities in mind, it will reveal almost limitless truths to us.
Notice that at the beginning of the chapter, it says that everything that Abraham owned was under the control of the servant. He
was the administrator of the entire estate of Abraham the father and
Isaac the son. That is true of the Holy Spirit, too; He is the administrator of the entire wealth of the Godhead. We are heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ. But the administrator of our inheritance is
the Holy Spirit. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we cannot receive or enjoy
our inheritance.
When the Bible speaks about our inheritance as the children of
Abraham, it refers specifically to receiving the promise of the Spirit,
who alone can bring us into all the blessings that are our inheritance. The blessing of Abraham is in all things (Genesis 24:1), but the
administrator of the blessing is the Holy Spirit. Hence Pauls specific
mention in Galatians of receiving the promise of the Spirit.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that the
administrator of my inheritance is the Holy Spirit, and I receive the
promise of the Spirit by faiththe blessing of Abraham in all
thingsbecause Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the
blessing. Amen.
Keys to Gods Abundance: The Conditions (audio)
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May 5
The Promise of My Father

he believers receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit does not depend
in any way upon his own merits; it depends solely upon the allsufficiency of Christs atonement. It is through faith, not by works,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians
3:14).
This idea agrees with Jesus final charge to His disciples just
before His ascension: Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you;
but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on
high (Luke 24:49). Jesus was speaking about the baptism in the Holy
Spirit that the disciples would receive at Pentecost.
The phrase the Promise of My Father gives us wonderful insight
into the mind and purpose of God the Father concerning the gift of
the Holy Spirit. Someone conservatively estimated that the Bible contains seven thousand distinct promises given by God to His believing
people. But among these, Jesus singled out just one from all the rest
as being unique: the promise of the Spirit.
Paul called this the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:14), thus
linking it with the supreme purpose of God in choosing Abraham
for Himself. When God first called Abraham out of Ur, He said, I
will bless you; and you shall be a blessing.And in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:23). In subsequent dealings
with Abraham, God reaffirmed His purpose many times. I will bless
you.In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis
22:1718). All these promises of God looked forward to Pauls words:
the promise of the Spirit (Galatians 3:14). Jesus shed His blood on the
cross to purchase this blessing, promised to the seed of Abraham.
shed His blood on the cross to purchase the blessing of Abraham
what He called the Promise of My Fatherand I receive the
blessed promise of the Holy Spirit, because Jesus was made a curse
that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.
Foundational Truths for Christian Living (book)
May
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May 6
Overtaken by Blessings
nce when I was in Ireland, there was a six-year-old boy whose

parents gave him some potatoes to plant. He planted his potatoes, and a week later, he went outside to see if they were growing.
There was no sign of growth. Two weeks later, he still saw nothing, so
he dug them up to see if they were sprouting at all. In the end, he dug
them up three or four times, and they never grew!
Some Christians are like that little boy. They plant their potatoes
of faith, then dig them up to see if they are growing. The essence of
faith is to let God grow us. We meet the conditions, but God fulfills
the promise and blesses us. Deuteronomy 28:2 says to those who meet
Gods conditions, All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake
you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. I love the word
overtake. It is not for us to run after the blessings; they run after us.
We can go to bed at night and ponder what blessings will have caught
up with us by the time we wake up in the morning!
In the same way, Matthew 6:33 tells us, But seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
We do not seek the things; we seek the kingdom. Then, God adds all
the things we need.
These, then, are the conditions for receiving Gods abundance:
first, our motives and attitudes must be right; second, we must exercise faith; third, we must honor God, our parents, and Gods ministers by giving; fourth, we must practice right thinking, speaking,
and acting; and fifth, we must let God add in His way and His time.
If we meet these conditions, we can be certain that Gods abundant
blessings will overtake us. This is one way that we enter into Gods
blessing.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I will
seek first the kingdom of God, and, as I do, that His blessings will
overtake mebecause Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into
the blessing. Amen.
Victory in Praise (New Wine article)
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Week 19:
Jesus endured our poverty
that we might share His abundance.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He
became poor, that you through His poverty might
become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9
May 7
Exhausting the Curse

Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance.
esus bore the poverty curse, which is presented in its most absolute
form in Deuteronomy 28:48: Therefore you shall serve your enemies,
whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness,
and in need of everything.
Some years ago, while I was preaching on the theme of Gods
financial provision, I received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that
went beyond anything in the sermon outline I had prepared. While I
continued to stand before the people and speak to them, I was having an inner mental vision of Jesus on the cross. I saw Him there in
all the stark reality Scripture describes. The Holy Spirit went over the
four aspects of the poverty curse for me, one by one, showing me that
Jesus totally exhausted the curse in all its aspects.
First, He was hungrywhen He was taken to be crucified, He had
not eaten for nearly twenty-four hours. Second, He was thirstyI
thirst was one of His last utterances. Third, He was nakedthe
Roman soldiers had stripped Him of all His clothing and divided it
among themselves. Fourth, He was in want of all thingsHe had no
robe to wear while He died, nor did He own a tomb to be buried in
afterward.
Jesus had nothing. Why? Because in the divine purpose of God,
He exhausted the poverty curse on our behalf. At first, I did not realize the full implication of what the Holy Spirit was showing me. Looking back, however, I would have to say that this revelation has given
me the basis for my faith for prosperity. In the absolute finality of the
exchange, Jesus took the poverty curse so that we might receive the
blessing of Abraham, whom God blessed in all things (Genesis 24:1),
which is administered by the Holy Spirit.
totally exhausted the poverty curse for me in all its aspects because
Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.
Gods Abundance, Part 3 (New Wine article)
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May 8
His Abundance
any passages of Scripture support the fact that Jesus bore the
poverty curse. Let us look at two in particular, starting with 2
Corinthians 8:9: For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his
poverty might be rich (kjv). I used to quote the end of that verse as
might become rich! But the Holy Spirit showed me that it means
might be rich. We can become rich and then become poor again, but
to be rich has a sense of permanence. Jesus took the evilpovertyso that we might have the goodriches. Jesus took our poverty
so that we might have His wealth.
Some people suggest that Jesus was poor throughout His earthly
ministry, but I cannot accept this idea as accurate. We need to keep
in mind the distinction between riches and abundance. Jesus was not
rich in the sense of having a large bank account or great material
possessions, but He certainly had abundance. Any man who can provide food for a crowd of five thousand men (along with women and
children) is no pauper! Actually, Jesus had much more left over after
feeding about twelve thousand people than He had when He started.
(See Matthew 14:1521.) What a beautiful picture of abundance!
Furthermore, Jesus transmitted this abundance to His disciples.
When He sent them out to spread the gospel message, He told them
to take nothing extra with them. Yet their testimony afterwards was
that they had lacked nothing. (See Luke 22:35.) That is not poverty!
Jesus was never worried or perplexed. He was calmly and completely in control of every situation. He never doubted that His Fathers
goodness would provide everything He needed. And the Father never
failed Him.
bore the poverty curse for me that I might have Your wealth because
Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.
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May 9
All Grace: Enough and More

aving poverty means having hunger,thirst,nakedness,and

[being] in need of everything (Deuteronomy 28:48). When exactly
did Jesus become poor? He began to become poor the moment He was
identified with our sins. From that moment onward, He went deeper
and deeper into poverty until, on the cross, He represented the absolute poverty described above.
Understand that at the cross, His poverty was not merely spiritual. He was also physically and materially poor. Therefore, by all the
laws of logic, our wealth will not be merely spiritual, either. Jesus
became absolutely poor in the physical, material sense so that we
might become rich, having every physical and material need met
and having something leftover to share with other people.
Second Corinthians 9:8 is the second particular verse we will
study that supports the fact that Jesus bore the poverty curse: God
is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every [all] good work.
God is not stingy. He does not give just enough; He gives enough and
more. That is abundance. In the verse above, there are two instances
of the word abound and four instances of the word all. I dont know
if this language could be any clearer. What does it describe? Gods
grace.
Interestingly enough, in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, two chapters that
deal with money, the key word is grace. It occurs seven times in chapter 8 and twice in chapter 9. It is a grace that operates in the realm
of money. However, few professing Christians understand the nature
of Gods grace. I have sometimes observed that those who speak the
most about grace often understand it the least.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that
Jesus became absolutely poor so that Gods grace could abound
for meeven in the realm of moneybecause Jesus endured my
poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.
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May 10
Gods Grace in Finances

here are three basic principles that govern the operation of Gods
grace. First, grace can never be earned; conversely, anything that
can be earned is not grace:
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works [what we earn]; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer
grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
(Romans 11:6)
This principle excludes most religious people from the grace of
God, because they think they can earn it.
Second, there is only one channel of grace. For the law was given
through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John
1:17). Any form of grace that comes to us comes solely through Jesus
Christ.
Third, there is only one means by which we can appropriate Gods
grace, and that is faith. This truth is summed up in three successive
phrases in Ephesians 2:89: For by grace you have been saved through
faith,not of works [what we earn].
Few Christians realize that this principle applies just as much in
the realm of financial and material provision as it does in any other
area of our lives. Scripture warns us specifically against irresponsibility (Proverbs 10:4), laziness (Proverbs 24:3034), and dishonesty
(Ephesians 4:28). As long as we are guilty of any of these sinful behaviors, we have no right to expect Gods grace to work in the financial
aspect of our lives. Therefore, as Christians, we are obligated to be
honest, hard working, and responsible.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that on the
cross, Jesus took my poverty and released Gods grace to me in the
realm of financial and material provision because Jesus endured my
poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.
May
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May 11
Meeting Gods Conditions

e must make an important, logical distinction between earning

Gods grace, which is impossible, and meeting Gods conditions,
which is obligatory. We cannot earn Gods abundance, which comes
only through grace; however, we are required to meet the conditions
God has laid down for receiving His abundance through faith. If we
do not meet these conditions, our faith has no scriptural foundation. In fact, it is merely presumption. To meet Gods conditions, our
motives and attitudes must be right. We would all do well to examine our motives very carefully, especially concerning monetary gain.
Impure motives concerning money include: (1) idolizing wealth (Covetousnessis idolatry [Colossians 3:5]; The love of money is a root of all
kinds of evil [1 Timothy 6:10]); (2) pursuing wealth by sinful methods
(Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains
riches by unjust means [Jeremiah 17:11 niv]; [see also Proverbs 28:8]);
(3) trusting ultimately in wealth for security and well-being (He who
trusts in his riches will fall [Proverbs 11:28]; Let notthe rich man glory
in his riches [Jeremiah 9:23]); (4) using wealth for selfish gain and
self-serving interests (There is one who withholds more than is right, but
it leads to poverty [Proverbs 11:24].)
In Luke 12:1621, Jesus related the parable of the rich man who
built bigger barns and filled them with his produce. But the Lord
said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you (verse 20).
Jesus then added, So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not
rich toward God (verse 21). The first direction in which we need to be
rich is toward God, giving Him our tithes and offerings for the building of His kingdom.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I receive
Gods abundance for me through faith as I meet His conditions
because Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance.
Amen.
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May 12
Caring for the Poor

esterday, we considered four wrong attitudes in relation to money.

There is yet another attitude that we must be careful to avoid, and
that is a wrong attitude toward the poor. The Bible consistently warns
us against despising or exploiting the poor.
There are a multitude of Scripture verses on this subject, but we
will look at several verses from Proverbs:
He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the
poor, happy is he.
(Proverbs 14:21)
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay
back what he has given.
(Proverbs 19:17)
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself
and not be heard.
(Proverbs 21:13)
He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes
will have many curses.
(Proverbs 28:27)
The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does
not understand such knowledge.
(Proverbs 29:7)
These versesand others like themplace a tremendous responsibility upon us to have concern for the needs of the poor. One mark of
righteousness is considering the cause of the poor. Conversely, a mark
of wickedness is simply averting ones eyes from the plight of the poor.
Furthermore, a reward is promised in relation to caring for the poor.
When we give to the poor, Solomon told us, we are lending to the Lord.
When the Lord repays our loans, He does not forget the interest!
have concern for the needs of the poor, and that I will care for them,
Amen.
May
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May 13
Enjoying the Blessing

ets look at the list of curses in Deuteronomy 28. Read this entire
chapter for yourself, considering whether you are enjoying a blessing or enduring a curse. If we are redeemed children of God, the curses
do not belong to us, but the blessings do. Let us focus particularly on
those blessings and curses related to wealth and poverty:
If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command
you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake
you:.Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.You
shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you
shall not prosper in your ways.Because you did not serve the
Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance
of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the
Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness,
and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your
neck until He has destroyed you.

(Deuteronomy 28:15, 17, 29, 4748)
The will of God is expressed in verse 47that we should serve

the Lord our God with joy and gladness of heart for the abundance of
all things. Abundance is a beautiful word that occurs many times in
the Bible. In essence, it means you have all you need, and then some
you have blessings leftover for others. The will of God is that we, as
His people, should serve Him with joy and gladness for the abundance
of all things He gives to us.
serve You with joy and gladness for the abundance of all things,
Amen.
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Week 20:
Jesus bore our shame
that we might share His glory.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of
our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
May 14
Freed from Shame

Jesus bore our shame that we might share His glory.
hame is a cruel and ugly emotion, and it is found even among Christians. It is often the result of sexual abuse or emotional abuse,
such as being ridiculed at school. I once read a story about a headmaster who singled out one boy and told him to stand up, then said to
the whole class, All of you have passed your exams except him. How
could this young man feel anything but shame? Many experiences
of childhood can cause shame. Those that happened longest ago are
sometimes the hardest to uproot. First in is often last out.
Perhaps the most common source of shame in our Western civilization is sexual abuse (even by professing Christians). I have dealt
with countless victims in this regard. Only when they come to the
cross will they be set free from that shame.
This prophetic utterance describes what Jesus did for us:
The Lord God has opened My ear; and I [Jesus] was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me,
and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide
My face from shame and spitting.
(Isaiah 50:56)
Jesus said, I gave My back. He could have saved Himself; He

could have called for twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. (See Matthew 26:53.) But He did not. He gave His back. The depictions we see
of the scourging of Jesus have very little to do with our own familiar
reality. It was a horrible scene because the scourge had little pieces
of metal or bone embedded in the thongs. When they fell on a mans
body, they tore away the skin and exposed the raw flesh. That is what
Jesus endured for our sake. And He did not hide His face from shame
and spitting. On the cross, Jesus bore our shame.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that on the
cross, Jesus freed me from shamebecause He bore my shame that I
might share His glory. Amen.
Overcoming Guilt, Shame and Rejection (audio, video)
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May 15
Despising the Shame

ere is a brief account of what happened after Jesus arrest in the

garden of Gethsemane. Pontius Pilate had handed Jesus over to
the soldiers to take Him out to be executed.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium
and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped
Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a
crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right
hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him,
saying, Hail, King of the Jews! Then they spat on Him, and
took the reed and struck Him on the head. [Remember, every
blow of that reed pressed the crown of thorns deeper into
His skull.] And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe
off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be
crucified.Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments,
casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet: They divided My garments among them, and for My
clothing they cast lots. Sitting down, they kept watch over Him
there.
(Matthew 27:2731, 3536)
Jesus was actually exposed naked two times in that scene. And
they sat and watched Him on the cross for three hours. Most depictions of Jesus on the cross show Him wearing a little loincloth. But
there was no loincloth; He was exposed naked. His shame was exposed
to everybody who passed by, mocking Him.
The epistle to the Hebrews emphasizes this truth: Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith,for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2).
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that
Jesus was exposed to shame on my behalf, enduring the cross and
despising the shamebecause He bore my shame that I might
share His glory. Amen.
May
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May 16
Sharing His Glory

hat is the opposite of shame? I think that what is closest to

being antithetical to shame is glory.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom
are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain
of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)
Notice, Jesus was bringing many sons to glory. He bore our shame
so that we might share His glory. Some of us have backgrounds of which
we are ashamedfilled with things we have never fully gotten over,
events that haunt and disturb us. These negative thoughts and painful
memories hinder those moments when we want to worship and praise
God. Just remember that Jesus, naked for three hours on the cross,
bore our shame completely so that we might share His glory.
I once spoke in Holland about Jesus bearing our shame, and a
Dutch woman sent me her testimony as a response. As a young girl,
she had been sexually abusedgang raped by a group of young
boysand also suffered further sexual molestation. Later, she married, but her marriage was not happy because of the deep bitterness
in her heart against men. She could not escape the shame of what she
had endured. Then, the Lord did something wonderful.
Sitting alone in her bedroom, she had a vision of Jesus on the
cross, absolutely naked. She realized two things: first, that He had
borne her shame; and second, that He was a man. Though she was so
bitter against men, she realized it was a Man who paid the penalty
of her shame. Isnt that beautiful? Bear in mind that Jesus, naked on
the cross, was exposed to the jeers and taunts of passersby. It was the
primary object of crucifixion, and Jesus endured it all.
paid the penalty of our shame, for He bore my shame that I might
share His glory. Amen.
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May 17
The Joy Set before Him

ebrews 12:2 calls Jesus the finisher of our faith. The same verse in
both the New International and New American Standard Bible versions refers to Jesus as the perfecter of our faith.
Let me encourage you with those words. Whatever Jesus begins,
He is going to complete. If He has started something in you, He will
complete it. That is His faithfulnessnot our cleverness.
Hebrews 12:2 continues, saying that Jesus, for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God. On the cross, Jesus endured shame,
but He did not let it deter Him. For the joy that was set before Him,
He did not consider shame a worthy reason to turn away from His
purpose. What was the joy that was set before Him? The joy of bringing many sons to glory. In order to bring you and meand millions
and millions of others like usto glory, Jesus Christ endured the
shame of the cross.
There is no form of death more shameful than crucifixion. It is
shameful because it is the lowest form of punishment reserved for the
most debased of criminals. It is shameful because of the very way in
which the death occurs. The Scriptures state clearly that the Roman
soldiers took all of Jesus clothing away from Him. Jesus hung naked
on the cross before the eyes of the people for three hours or more.
People walked past and made fun of Him. How would you feel in
that situation? In a single word: shameful. Jesus endured the shame
because He saw that through it, He could bring us to glory.
endured the shame to bring many sons to glory. For the joy set before
Him, Jesus bore my shame that I might share His glory. Amen.
Atonement, Vol. 2: Shame vs. Glory (audio)
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May 18
Helping Gods Chosen Ones

y wife and I were once involved in helping two Jewish women

who had escaped from Soviet Russia. In a sense, these women
had cast themselves on our mercy. We went to a lot of pain and trouble to help them, and, by the grace of God, we ultimately succeeded in
doing so. One day, I was complaining to myself as I toiled up a steep
hill in Haifa for them. It was a hot day, and, though these women were
always very grateful, I was thinking that this was an awful lot to go
through for them. And God gave me this verse; I did not know where
to find it in the Bible, but the words just came to me:
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect [Gods chosen ones], that they also may obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
(2 Timothy 2:10)
From that experience, I saw that my position was far from that
of Jesus on the cross. The inconvenience I was enduring was so miniscule in comparison. But the purpose was to help Gods chosen ones
enter into salvation with eternal glory.
We all need to devote more time to thinking about that word
glory, because it is our destination. If there is a price to pay for glory,
believe me, it is worth it. We may be called upon sometime to give
up those two idols of convenience and comfort. If we could just get
a vision of all that can come out of our personal inconvenience and
sacrifice, we would one day see people in glory who are there because
of what we did.
That was the motivation of Jesus. He did not do it for Himself
but to bring many sons to glory.
give up those two idols of convenience and comfort, as Jesus did, to
help bring salvation to Gods chosen ones. Jesus bore my shame that
I might share His glory. Amen.
Atonement, Vol. 2: Shame vs. Glory (audio)
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May 19
Boasting in the Cross

ne day, the Holy Spirit spoke to me through tongues and interpretation: Consider the work of Calvary, a perfect work; perfect
in every respect, perfect in every aspect. God showed me that if I
could understand fully what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary, I would
find it was perfect, complete. There was nothing that needed to be
added, nothing that could ever be taken from it. Every need had been
supplied. It made me want to know more about the cross. Gradually,
over the years, the Holy Spirit has opened up the Scriptures to me
more and more.
But God forbid that I should glory [boast], save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I
unto the world.
(Galatians 6:14 kjv)
Paul had only one thing to boast aboutthe cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ. That is an amazing statement when you consider that
in Pauls day, the cross was the absolute embodiment of all that was
shameful and revolting.
In his book A Doctor at Calvary, Pierre Barbet, a Catholic surgeon,
tried to pinpoint and describe the physical experience of a person
being crucified. The problem was that there was no standard of reference because no one in the past two centuries has ever seen a person
crucified on a cross. It brought home to me how remote the cross can
be to us as an instrument of shame and torture.
Paul did not boast about his Jewish ancestry or the churches he
founded or the miracles he had seen. He boasted only about the cross.
May that same spirit be in each one of usa spirit willing to be emptied of carnal boastfulness, pride, and self-sufficiencyso that we
can humbly acknowledge the cross of Jesus Christ.
boast in the cross of Jesus Christ, for Jesus bore my shame that I
might share His glory. Amen.
The Work of the Cross (audio)
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May 20
Ordained for Glory

Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he
called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What,
then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be
against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up
for us allhow will he not also, along with him, graciously give
us all things?
(Romans 8:2932 niv)
hen we are identified with Jesus in His death, we enter into His
abundant inheritance. We become heirs of God and joint heirs
with Jesus Christ. But there is a process. Five stages were outlined by
Paul, all of which are in the past tense. The first two steps took place
in eternity before time began: God foreknew us and predestined us.
Then, God called us through the preaching of the gospel. When we
responded to the call, He then justified us. But He didnt stop there;
He also glorified us. He brought us up to share glory with Jesus in
heaven as kings and priests. Not in the future, but in the past.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died,
and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who
is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

We already share Christs glory, but it is in the unseen, invisible
world. Where Jesus is, we are.
foreknew me, predestined me, called me, justified me, and glorified
me. Jesus bore my shame that I might share His glory. Amen.
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Week 21:
Jesus endured our rejection
that we might have His acceptance
with the Father.
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of
His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by
which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:56
May 21
We Are Accepted!
that we might have His acceptance with the Father.
ejection, simply defined, is the sense of being unwanted or the

sense that, although you want people to love you, no one does. Or
it can be the desire to belong to a group from which you feel excludedit seems youre always on the outside looking in. One reason
that so many people today suffer from the problem of rejection is the
form of our society and its pressures, particularly those causing the
breakup of family life.
What is the opposite of rejection? It is acceptance. I love the last
part of Ephesians 1:6, which says, He [God] has made us accepted in
the Beloved. Jesus, Gods true and only begotten Son, was rejected
so that we, who were unworthy rebels, might have His acceptance
with the Father. The surest remedy for our problems is to believe that
Jesus bore our rejection that we might have His acceptance with the
Father.
Gods family is the best family. There is none equal to it. Even if
your own family did not care for youperhaps your father rejected
you or your mother never had time for youGod still wants you.
You are accepted. You are the object of His special care and affection.
Everything He does in the universe revolves around you.
When God says that we are accepted, He does not mean that we
are merely tolerated. We never take too much of His time. The only
thing that upsets Him is when we stay away too long. He does not
push us off into a corner and say, Wait. Im too busy. I dont have time
for you. Rather, He says, Im interested in you. I want you. Youre
welcome. Come in. Ive been waiting a long time for you.
has made me accepted in the Beloved, and He welcomes me. Jesus
endured my rejection that I might have His acceptance with the
Father. Amen.
From Rejection to Acceptance (New Wine article)
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May 22
Remedy for Rejection

believe the primary result of rejection is the inability to receive or

communicate love. None of us can communicate love unless we have
first received love. This point was made by John in the New Testament, when he wrote, We love Him [God] because He first loved us (1
John 4:19). I do not believe anyone can love unless he has first been
loved. Thus, a person who has never been loved cannot transmit love.
The secondary results of rejection are the three main ways in
which people commonly react to rejection: first, there is the person
who gives in; second, there is the person who holds out; and, third,
there is the person who fights back. These three ways of reacting to
rejection have one thing in common. Each is essentially defensive,
offering a method of covering up the hurt. None of them is a positive
solution. God, however, has a positive solution.
In Isaiah 61:1, we find a promise that was fulfilled through the
coming of Jesus the Messiah: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He
has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives,
and freedom to prisoners (nasb).
In fulfillment of this promise, God has provided a remedy for
rejection. It comes to us through Jesus and the cross. Gods eternal
purpose, even before creation, was that we might become His childrenHis sons and His daughters. When Jesus bore our sin and suffered our rejection, He opened the way for our acceptance by the One
whose acceptance truly matters.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I step
out of the results of rejection, receiving instead the remedy God has
provided for me in Jesus Christ the Messiah. I proclaim that Jesus
endured my rejection that I might have His acceptance with the
Father. Amen.
Rejection: Cause and Cure (audio)
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May 23
The Holy Spirits Probe

he first step in overcoming rejection is to recognize the problem.

Once you recognize it, you can deal with it. You are not alone in
this; God will help you recognize it. Let me give you a practical illustration.
During World War II, when I was serving as a medical orderly in
the desert in North Africa, I was working with a man who was a brilliant doctor. One of our soldiers was struck with a piece of shrapnel.
He came into the medical station with this tiny, black puncture mark
in his shoulder. I set to work attending to him, and I asked the doctor,
Shall I get out a dressing to dress the wound?
The doctor said, No, give me the probe. So, I handed him the
little silver stick, and he put it in the wound and moved it around.
Nothing happened for a few moments. Suddenly, the probe touched
the little piece of shrapnel inside, and the patient let out a yelp. The
doctor knew he had found the problem.
When I again asked if I should bring the dressing, the doctor
replied, No, bring me the forceps. He put the forceps in and removed
the piece of shrapnel. Only then did he want to apply the dressing.
You may be putting a little dressing of religion over a wound that
cannot heal because there is something inside that is causing it to
fester. However, if you will open your heart to the Holy Spirit, He will
reveal the source of the problem. If the Holy Spirits probe touches a
piece of shrapnel, yelp if you must, but dont resist! Ask Him to use
His forceps to remove the problem. Then, God can apply something
that will truly heal the wound rather than patch it up temporarily.
opening my heart to the Holy Spirits probe to reveal the source
of my problem. Jesus endured my rejection that I might have His
acceptance with the Father. Amen.
Gods Remedy for Rejection (book)
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May 24
Experiencing His Acceptance

o receive Gods provision for rejection, you must grasp two basic
facts. First, God did not make a lot of different provisions for each
of the various needs of humanity. Instead, He made just one, all-inclusive provision that covers all the needs of all people. This cover-all
provision was the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.
Second, what took place on the cross was an exchange that God
Himself had planned. All the evil consequences of our sins came upon
Jesus so that, in return, all the benefits of Jesus sinless obedience
might be made available to us. For our part, we have done nothing to
deserve this, and we have no merits or rights by which to claim it. It
proceeded solely out of the unfathomable love of God.
Therefore, it is futile to approach God on the basis of some merit
or virtue that we imagine we possess. Nothing we have to offer of
ourselves can be compared with the merit of the sacrifice that Jesus
offered on our behalf.
Christ bore our rejection on the cross, along with all of the shame
and betrayal, agony and heartache. In fact, a broken heart was the
cause of His death. We are accepted because of His rejection. We are
accepted in the Beloved. It was an exchange. Jesus bore the evil so that
we might receive the good. He carried our sorrows so we might have
His joy. The way is opened for man to come to God without shame,
without guilt, without fear. Jesus bore our rejection so that we might
experience His acceptance.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim the truth
of the exchange Jesus made for me: I am accepted because of His
rejection. I receive the good because He bore the evil. I have His
joy because He carried my sorrows. I proclaim that Jesus endured my
rejection that I might have His acceptance with the Father. Amen.
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May 25
Steps to Acceptance
here are four steps you must take to experience acceptance with
God. The first thing is to forgive every person who has rejected you
or harmed you in any way. As Jesus instructed us, When you stand
praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your
Father in heaven may forgive you your sins (Mark 11:25 niv).
This statement is all-inclusive: if you hold anything against anyone, forgive, and then God will forgive you. But if you do not forgive
others, God does not forgive you. This truth applies especially in our
attitudes toward our parents, who most commonly cause the problem
of rejection. Lives have changed when people have realized they have
a scriptural obligation to honor their parents. Ephesians 6:2 says,
Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a
promise. That does not mean that you ignore their faults completely,
but you must forgive them and determine to honor them to the greatest extent that you are able. I have never known anyone who had a
wrong relation to his parents who was really blessed and prosperous.
Second, you must lay down the negative results of rejection: bitterness, resentment, hatred, rebellion. These attitudes are poisonous;
they will infect your entire life. They will cause deep emotional problems and, quite likely, physical problems, as well. You cannot afford to
entertain these thoughts.
By a resolute decision of your will, push them from you. Say with
conviction, I lay down bitterness, resentment, hatred, and rebellion.
People who have recovered from alcoholism are often told, Resentment is a luxury you can no longer afford. That is true. None of us can
afford resentment. Its effects are toxic.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I forgive every person
who has rejected me, and I lay down bitterness, resentment, hatred,
and rebellion. I proclaim that Jesus endured my rejection that I might
have His acceptance with the Father. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
May 26
Accepting Ourselves
y an act of faith, you must believe what God says in the Bible: that
you are accepted in Christ. Scripture tells us that Gods purpose
from eternity was to make us His children, and He accomplished this
purpose, He made it possible, through Jesus death on the cross on
our behalf. (See Ephesians 1:46.) When you come to God through
Jesus, God accepts you. He will not turn you away.
To make this step toward acceptance, you must accept yourself.
Many times, this is the hardest thing for us to do. We look back over
a record of failures and false starts, maybe the ways in which we have
failed others. You may label yourself failure, but God labels you My
son or My daughter. We must accept ourselves because God has
accepted us.
When you come to God through Jesus, you are a new creation:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:1718). That
is the new creation. Do not think about yourself in terms of what you
were before you came to Christ, for you have become a new creation.
Let us pray together: God, I thank You that You love me, that
You gave Jesus, Your Son, to die on my behalf. I thank You that He
bore my sins, took my rejection, and paid my penalty. And because I
come to You through Him, I am not rejected, I am not unwanted, I am
not excluded. You really love me. I really am Your child. You really are
my Father. I belong to Your family. Heaven is my home. Thank You,
God. Amen.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I believe what God
saysthat I am accepted in Christand I accept myself, as well.
I proclaim that Jesus endured my rejection that I might have His
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May 27
Finding Your Place

here is another important stage in achieving acceptance, and that

is receiving acceptance from Gods people. This means finding your
place in the body of Christ.
You see, as Christians, we are never isolated individuals. We are
brought into a relationship with our fellow believers. That relationship is one of the ways in which our acceptance is worked out in our
day-to-day living. It is not enough to be accepted by the Father in
heaven. That is the first step, and indeed the most important one.
However, after that, acceptance has to find expression in our relationships with our fellow believers.
Collectively, Christians constitute one body, with each Christian being a member of that body. None of us can say to our fellow
believers, I dont need you. We all need one another. God has created
the body in such a way that the members are interdependent. None
of them can function effectively on its own. That principle applies
to each one of us. It applies to you. You have to find your place in
the body of Christ. You need the other members, and they need you.
Finding your place in the body makes your acceptance a real, day-today experience.
If you are crying out in your heart for this kind of involvement, I
suggest that you pray this prayer: Lord, I long to dwell in Your house,
to be part of a spiritual family of committed believers. If there are any
barriers in me, I ask You to remove them. Guide me to a group where
this longing of mine can be fulfilled, and help me to make the needed
commitment to them. In the name of Jesus, amen.
open to finding my place in the body of Christ, as I just prayed.
I proclaim that Jesus endured my rejection that I might have His
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Week 22:
Jesus was cut off by death
that we might be joined to God eternally.
For He was cut off from the land of the living; for
the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
Isaiah 53:8
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with
Him.
1 Corinthians 6:17
May 28
Spiritual Life: Fellowship with God

Jesus was cut off by death that we might be joined to God eternally.
fter Peter drew his sword in Jesus defense, so that He would not
be arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to him, Put
your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has
given Me? (John 18:11). Jesus drank the cup to the very dregs. You
see, Jesus work was not completed on the cross. In fact, the bitterest dregs came after physical death. In every sense, Jesus exhausted
the cup. First, there was spiritual death; second, physical death; and
third, spiritual banishment from God.
Jesus tasted death for every person so that we might have life.
And we have life in the three aspects of life that Jesus forfeited. The
parallel is exact.
First of all, we have spiritual lifewe are brought into union
and fellowship with God here in this life, right now, through faith in
Jesus Christ. Jesus was joined to the Lord; He lived by the life of the
Father. He said, I and My Father are one (John 10:30). This was the
case until He took our iniquity upon Himself and was separated from
the Father. He was cut off that we might be united. Through faith in
Jesus, you and I can be joined to the Lord in the Spirit and walk this
life in union with God, just as Jesus walked His life in union with the
Father by the Spirit. This is the end purpose of the gospel.
First John 1:3 states, That which we have seen and heard we declare
to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus forfeited the fellowship so that we might enter into the fellowship.
tasted death that I might have life; that He was cut off that I might
be united; that He forfeited the fellowship that we might enter into
it. I proclaim that Jesus was cut off by death that I might be joined to
God eternally. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict, Vol. 2: Gods Secret Plan Unfolds: Jesus Tasted Death in All Its Phases
(audio)
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May 29
Physical Life: Resurrection Life

esus tasted death in every aspect for every person so that we

might have life in every aspect. Yesterday, we talked about the
first aspect, which is spiritual life. Today, we will look at the second
aspect, which is physical life. This life comes in two successive phases.
First, we have life in our physical bodies now. But our bodies are mortal; thus, second, at the resurrection, our bodies will be changed into
immortal bodies.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells
in you [that means dwells in you right now, not after the
resurrection], He who raised Christ from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

(Romans 8:11)
We each have a mortal body with resurrection life. Mortal flesh,
a mortal body, but resurrection life made manifest in it. Not just
operating in it, but made manifest in it. If this verse does not refer to
divine healing and divine physical strength and vitality, then I do not
understand these words! But that is not the conclusion. The conclusion is a changed body. Concerning this changed body, Paul wrote,
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that because
Jesus tasted death for me, I have liferesurrection life now and life
eternal. I proclaim that Jesus was cut off by death that I might be
joined to God eternally. Amen.
(audio)
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May 30
Eternity with God

he third aspect of the life we have in Christ is the consummation

of the work of Jesus in eternityan eternity spent in the presence
of God rather than being eternally banished to hell.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the
dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

(1 Thessalonians 4:1617)
The consummation of redemption is eternity in the presence of
God. The last two chapters of Revelation describe our eternity in the
presence of God:
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and
the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea [no
more separation, no more bitterness]. Then I, John, saw the holy
city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:12)
I believe the New Jerusalem is the church coming down out of
heaven. And it is Gods permanent dwelling place. One of the supreme
purposes of God in the church is to have a dwelling place where He
can live permanently. Verse 3 says, And I heard a loud voice from heaven
saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with
them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be
their God.
have eternity in the presence of God instead of banishment, because
Jesus was cut off by death that I might be joined to God eternally.
Amen.
(audio)
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May 31
Union with Christ

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

he word joined is not in the past tense but the ongoing present
tense. In other words, He who is cleaving continually to the Lord
is one with Him. There is a spiritual union with God that is parallel
to the physical union between a man and a woman. That is what the
Scripture says. It is so real, so intimate, that the believer can cleave to
God so that he is one with Him.
Just as Jesus is one with the Father, so believers can be one with
the Son. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. I want to emphasize
again that it is not a single event in the past tense. It is a continuing present: He who is cleaving continually to the Lord. Jesus lived
by continual union with the Father. If the union had ever been broken, which it never was until the cross, He would have forfeited life.
And you and I, as believers, live only insofar as we live in continual
union with the Son, Jesus Christ. Living in union with Him, we are
one spirit.
The primary activity of the human spirit is union with God. It
is the only part of man that can be united directly with God. The
great privilege we have with our spirits is union and communion with
God.
The believer has to live by his union with Christ, just as Christ
lived by His union with the Father. We are dependent for life, moment
by moment, upon our union with Christ. Dont ever trust in yesterdays experience for today.
living in union with Christand that we are one spirit. Jesus was cut
off by death that I might be joined to God eternally. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict, Vol. 2: Gods Secret Plan Unfolds: Gods Purpose for the New Race (audio)
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June 1
Communion with the Creator

n 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul prayed, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be
preserved blameless. Paul here put together the three elements that
make up a complete human personality, listing them in descending
order from the highest to the lowest: first, spirit; second, soul; third,
body.
The spirit is the part of the human personality that was directly
breathed into man by God at creation. It is therefore capable of direct
union and communion with the Creator. In 1Corinthians 6:17, Paul
said, He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. It would not
be correct to say one soul with Him. Only mans spirit is capable
of direct union with God. In the original pattern of creation, mans
spirit related upward to God, his Creator, and downward to his own
soul. God communicated directly with mans spirit and, through
mans spirit, with his soul. Together, mans spirit and soul expressed
themselves through his body.
Let me give you three definitions of the functions of spirit, soul,
and bodydefinitions that are simple but no less helpful. The spirit
is God-conscious. The soul is self-conscious. The body is world-conscious. Through the spirit, we are conscious of God. In our souls, we
are conscious of ourselves. And through our bodies and their senses,
we relate to the world around us.
When the spirit of man is brought back into union with God, it
is rekindled to become a lamp. The Holy Spirit comes in and fills up
that lamp, shedding light on mans whole inner being. (See Proverbs
20:27.)
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I am in
direct union and communion with my Creator, because Jesus was cut
off by death that I might be joined to God eternally. Amen.
Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose (book)
What Is Man?, Part 2 (audio)
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June 2
Marriage Relationship with the Lord

n Romans 7, Paul said that through the law, we were married. The
law was like a marriage covenant, and it was for life. To whomor to
whatwere we married? We were married to our fleshly nature. The
whole essence of the law is that we are required to keep it in our own
ability. Doing this is dependent on our fleshly nature, which explains
why it never works.
Coming under the law is like participating in a marriage ceremony in which you are married to your fleshly nature. As long as your
fleshly nature remains alive, you must remain married to it; you cannot divorce it and marry somebody else. The good news is that your
first spouse died. When did that first spouse die? When Jesus died
on the cross. Our old man was crucified with Him. When you grasp
that fact, you say, Praise God. Im free. I dont have to go on with
this awful spouse of mine who gave me an awful life and gave me no
blessings, peace, or righteousness. Im not tied to that vile spouse any
longer. I can be married to another.
The alternative is to be married to the One who rose from the
deadthe risen, glorified Christ. He can become your husband
whether you are man or woman. What we are talking about is a relationship in the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6:1516, Paul provided a picture of sexual union between a man and a prostitute. He used that
picture of union to help people envision another kind of union that
they can havea union with the Lord. It is not sexual; it is spiritualthat is, a marriage relationship with the Lord. He who is joined
to the Lord is one (1 Corinthians 6:17)not in soul or in body, but in
spirit.
married in the Spirit to the One who rose from the deadthe risen,
glorified Christ. I proclaim that Jesus was cut off by death that I might
be joined to God eternally. Amen.
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June 3
Worship: The Consummation

n John 4:2324, Jesus said that the Father is looking for those who
will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Worship is a function of
the spirit. What is the act by which we are joined to the Lord as one
spirit? Worship. That is why worship is the highest activity of human
beings.
When we are joined to the Lord in worship, we begin to bring
forth or birth the things that God wants brought forth. Worship is
not a sort of appendix to the Christian life. It is not an afterthought,
a mere addition to our services. Worship is the culminationit is the
confirmation. If I may say this without offending anybody, worship
is the consummation of our marriage to the Lord. It unites us with
Him as one spirit. When we have that marriage union, it is always for
the sake of procreation. That is when we procreate; that is when we
bring forth spiritual fruit. By spiritual fruit, I mean the fruit of the
Spirit, which is listed in Galatians 5:2223: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
The people who bring forth the kinds of fruit specified in this
passage do not need to be governed by the law. They are not under the
law. They have escaped from their marriage to the flesh under the law,
and they are free to be married by the Holy Spirit to the resurrected
Christ and bring forth the kind of fruit that is appropriate to that
union. The key to the Christian life is not effort. It is union.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that as I
worship the Lord, I am united to Him in one spirit. I proclaim that
Jesus was cut off by death that I might be joined to God eternally.
Amen.
184
Declaring Gods Word
Week 23:
I have been forgiven and set free
from my sins.
In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:14
June 4
A Clean Record
I have been forgiven and set free from my sins.
ne of the most wondrous aspects of Gods nature is that when

He forgives, He does not partially forgive. He totally forgives.
Micah stated this beautifully:
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry
forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
(Micah 7:1819 niv)
Isnt that beautiful? Everything that we have ever done wrong

everything that could ever make us feel guilty, every accusation that
the enemy could ever bring against usGod treads underfoot and
hurls into the depths of the sea.
Someone remarked once that when God casts your sins into the
sea, He puts up a notice that says, No Fishing! Dont ever try to go
back and resurrect something that God has buried. If God has forgiven you, you are forgiven. There are no questions. Gods forgiveness
is total. In Isaiah God speaks to His people, saying:
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own
sake, and remembers your sins no more.
(Isaiah 43:25)
When God forgives us, He blots out the record. It is clean. It is
just as though that which was forgiven had never taken place. Not
only does He blot out the record, but He blots it out from His own
memory. He says that He will remember our sins no more.
God does not have a bad memory, but He does have the ability to
forget. And when He forgives, He forgets!
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that Gods

forgiveness for me is total: He has blotted out my record and it is
clean. I have been forgiven and set free from my sins. Amen.
The Three Most Important Words (booklet)
186
Declaring Gods Word
June 5
Nothing Shall Hurt Us

For He [God] delivered us from the domain of darkness, and
transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

(Colossians 1:1314 nasb)
hrough our faith in Jesus and His sacrificial death, God has delivered us from the domain of darkness. Notice that word domain. In
the original Greek, it is authority. Satan has authority over the disobedient, the unbelieving, and the unsaved. But through Jesus, God has
delivered us from that domain of darkness and transferred us into
the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption.
Note the key word redemption. We have been bought back. We
are no longer under the power of the curse, because of the redeeming
death and shed blood of Jesus Christ.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the devil.
(1 John 3:8)
Why did Jesus come? To destroy the works of the devil. That
includes the curse!
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by
any means hurt you.
(Luke 10:19)
Satan may have power, but Jesus has given us power over the
power of Satan, so that nothing shall by any means hurt [us].
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that Jesus has
delivered me from the domain of darkness, and that He has given
me power over all the power of Satan, so that nothing shall by any
means hurt me. I have been forgiven and set free from my sins.
Amen.
Transformed for Life (book)
June
187
June 6
Replacing the Old Sinful Man

roviding complete deliverance from the tyranny of sin required

a threefold provision of God. First of all, He had to deal with our
sinsthe sinful acts we have all committed. Because Jesus paid the full
penalty for our sins on the cross, God can forgive us without compromising His own justice. His first provision, therefore, is forgiveness.
Then, God also had to deal with the corrupt nature within us
that caused us to go on committing those sinful acts. His provision
was executionto put that sinful nature to death. The good news
is that the execution took place more than nineteen centuries ago,
when Jesus died on the cross.
That not the end, however. Gods purpose is to replace the old,
sinful man with a new man of His own creating. Paul explained this
provision in the book of Ephesians, saying,
Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old manand be
renewed in the spirit of your mind, andput on the new man
which was created according to God, in true righteousness and
holiness.
(Ephesians 4:2224)
We should not assume, however, that the old man will passively
accept his sentence of execution. On the contrary, he will struggle
fiercely, at timesto regain his control over us. This explains Pauls
words of warning in Colossians 3:3, where he said, For you died.
Then, in verse 5, he said, Therefore put to death your members which
are on the earth. We must stand in faith that the death of our old man
is an accomplished fact, and we must actively resist his attempts to
regain control over us.
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that on the cross,
Jesus put my sinful nature to death, replacing it with a new nature.
I actively resist my old mans attempts to regain control over me,
proclaiming that I have been forgiven and set free from my sins.
Amen.
Rules of Engagement (book)
188
Declaring Gods Word
June 7
Total, Permanent Victory

he sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross is the only basis of Gods

provision for every need of the whole human race. Instead of God
doing a lot of different actions at different times, Scripture says, By
one offering [sacrifice] He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14).
The writer of Hebrews explained that after Jesus had offered that
one sacrifice, He sat down at the right hand of God (verse 12). Why did
He sit down? Because He was never going to have to do it again.
Through His work on the cross, Jesus administered to Satan and
his kingdom a total, permanent, irreversible defeat. Jesus will never
have to do that work again. Satan has already been defeated. You and
I do not have to defeat Satan. But we must apply the victory that Jesus
has already won and walk in that victory.
We read in Colossians 1:12, Giving thanks to the Father who has
qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Our inheritance is in the light, and there is no darkness whatsoever
in it. It is totally in the light. How has He done it?
He has delivered us from the power [I prefer to say domain] of
darkness and conveyed [translated] us into the kingdom of the
Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins.
(verses 1314)
By redemption through the blood of Jesus, we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and translated, or carried over,
into the kingdom of the Son of Gods love.
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that through

the cross, Jesus administered to Satan and his kingdom a total,
permanent, irreversible defeat. I apply the victory Jesus has won, and
I walk in that victory, for I have been forgiven and set free from my
sins. Amen.
Lucifer Exposed (book)
June
189
June 8
Freedom from Legalism

n Romans 8:15, Paul was speaking to Christians baptized in the

Holy Spirit, and he said, For you did not receive the spirit of bondage
again to fear.
Bondage means enslavement. Paul was warning Christians not
to let the devil get them back into slavery. And the suggestion is
very clear that the form of slavery to which they would be enticed to
return would be that of religious slaverysubservience to the law
from which they had been delivered when Jesus died on the cross.
The whole of the book of Galatians deals with this very issue of
not being enslaved by religious legalism after having been set free
by the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact,
Paul treated that issue as something much more severe and dangerous than even sexual sins, such as fornication or adultery. It is quite
remarkable, but the epistle to the Galatians is the only one of Pauls
epistles that he does not open by giving thanks to God for the people
to whom he was writing. So upset was he by what the Galatians were
doing that he launched straight into his subject. I marvel that you
are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ
(Galatians 1:6).
This is a clear example of religious demons bringing people back
into the slavery of legalism. Let us heed Pauls emphatic warning: Be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage [slavery] (Galatians 5:1
kjv).
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that I will not be
enslaved by religious legalism after having been set free by the gospel
and by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been forgiven and set
free from my sins. Amen.
Demons and Demonology: Nature and Activity of Demons (audio)
190
Declaring Gods Word
June 9
No Condemnation
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in
Christ Jesus.For what the law could not do in that it was weak
through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh.
(Romans 8:1, 3)
here are two kinds of coffee: percolated and instant. Percolated coffee takes longer to make because it has to go through the brewing process. The book of Romans is like percolated coffee. We cannot
get instant coffee out of Romans chapter 8. We must go through the
preceding seven chapters. Those are the percolator. But the result is
that much richer. Only when we have been through those chapters do
we get to the therefore. The preceding chapters deal with the total
sinfulness of all humanity, as well as with the failure of religion to
change mans sinful nature. Using the examples of Abraham and
David (see chapter 4), with a comparison between Adam and Christ
(see chapter 5), Paul moves on in chapter 6 to reveal Gods remedy for
the old man: execution. God doesnt patch up the old man. He doesnt
reform him. He executes him! The good news is that this execution
took place when Jesus died on the cross.
Romans 7 deals with our relationship to the Law. I always used
to think, Why come to the law after all that? But I have learned that the
ultimate hurdle we have to get over, the last stage of this percolator,
is how we relate to the Law. Without the percolator, we cannot live in
Romans 8, because the essential condition is no condemnation. The
moment in which we come under condemnation is the moment when
we are out of the Spirit-controlled life of Romans 8. The devils main
objective is to bring us under condemnation. The objective of Gods
Word, especially in Romans, is to deliver us from condemnation.
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I am free from the

devils efforts to bring me under condemnation, and there is no
condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus. I have been
forgiven and set free from my sins. Amen.
Lucifer Exposed (book)
June
191
June 10
Fully His
here was a boy who lived in a town on the seaside. He was a skilled
and clever carver, and he carved himself a little wooden boat. When
he put sails on it, it really sailed. One day, he took it down to the shore
and was sailing it at the edge of the sea, but the tide changed and carried his boat out to sea, and he could not recover it. So, he went home
without his boat.
With the next change of the wind and tide, the boat came back
again. A man walking along the seashore found the boat, picked it up,
and saw it was a beautiful piece of work. He took it to a local shop and
sold it. The shop owner cleaned it up and put it on display in his shop
window with a price of thirty-five dollars.
Some while later, the boy walked past the shop, looked in the
window, and saw his boat with a price of thirty-five dollars. He knew,
however, that he had no way to prove that it was his boat. If he wanted
his boat, there was only one thing he could do: buy it back.
He set to work, taking any job he could to earn the money to buy
his boat. Once he earned the money, he walked into the shop and
said, I want to buy that boat. He paid the money, and, when he got
the boat in his hands, he walked outside and stopped on the sidewalk.
He held the boat to his chest and said, Now youre mine. I made you
and I bought you. That is redemption. First, the Lord made us, but
we were in Satans slave market. Then, He bought us. We are doubly
His. Can you see how valuable you are to the Lord? Think of yourself
as that boat for a moment. You may feel so inadequate, so worthless.
You wonder whether God ever really cares. Just try to believe that you
are that boat in the Lords arms and He is saying to you, Now youre
Mine. I made you and I bought you. I own you; youre fully Mine.
Thank You, Lord, for Your forgiveness. I proclaim that I am in the

Lords arms, and He has declared that I am His. He made me and
bought me; He loves me; I am fully His. I have been forgiven and set
free from my sins. Amen.
192
Declaring Gods Word
Week 24:
I am a child of God.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, to those
who believe in His name.
John 1:12
June 11
True Identity
he reason that Jesus Christ came to earth wasand isto bring

us to God. If we stop short of this revelation of God, we have
stopped short of the full and final outworking of redemptions purpose. When we come into the fullness of this revelation and into that
direct relationship with God as Father, it supplies certain factors that
are conspicuously lacking in the emotional experience of many people in our culture. The three things that come out of this revelation
and relationship are identity, self-worth, and security.
Identity is a real problem for people today. An interesting clue to
this problem was the success of the book and TV miniseries Roots. The
essence of that story was a mans search for his roots, or origins, in
order to gain a stronger sense of identity. All humanity is busy with
the same search. Men and women want to know where they came
from, who is behind them, how it started, and who they are. Scripture
and psychology agree that a person really does not answer the question, Who am I? until he or she knows who his or her father is.
Today, human relationships between parents and children
increasingly have become broken and fragmented, and the result
has been a widespread identity crisis. Christianitys answer to that
identity crisis is to bring men and women into a direct, personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. People
who truly know God as Father no longer have an identity problem.
They know who they arethey are children of God. Their Father created the universe, their Father loves them, and their Father cares for
them.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that
because of my relationship with God the Father, through Jesus, I
know who I am. I proclaim that I am a child of God. Amen.
Fatherhood (audio)
194
Declaring Gods Word
June 12
True Self-worth
cannot begin to count the number of people I have ministered to

whose greatest problem was a failure to appreciate themselves sufficiently. They had too low an esteem of themselves, which caused them
many spiritual and emotional agonies.
1 John 3:1 says, See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon
us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are (nasb). Once
we really comprehend that we are children of God, whom He loves
intimately and personally; that God is interested in us, is never too
busy for us, and desires a direct and personal relationship with each
of us, we gain a tremendous increase in self-worth.
Once when I was on my way to a meeting, I literally ran into a
woman. We were going in opposite directions at considerable speed.
After our collision, she picked herself up and said, Mr. Prince, Ive
been praying that if God wanted you to speak to me, wed meet.
Well, I said, weve met. But I can only give you about two minutes. Im very busy. She began to tell me what her problem was, and
after a while, I interrupted her, saying, Im sorry, Ive only got one
minute leftbut I think I know your problem. Will you follow me
in this prayer? I led her in a prayer in which she just thanked God
because He was her Father and she was His child, that He loved her,
that He cared for her, that she was special, and that she belonged to
the best family in the universe. Then, we parted ways.
About a month later, I received a letter from the same woman, in
which she wrote, I just want to tell you that being together with you
and praying that prayer has completely changed my attitude toward
life. For the first time, I really have a sense of my own worth.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that it is
my direct and personal relationship with the Lord that gives me
self-worth. I proclaim that I am a child of God. Amen.
Fatherhood (audio)
June
195
June 13
Coming to the Father

hen Jesus came to earth, His ultimate purpose was to bring to

the Father those who would turn to Him. Scripture states this
truth in many places, such as the following:
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in
order that He might bring us to God.
(1 Peter 3:18 nasb)
Why did Jesus die? That He might bring us to God. Jesus was not
the end; He was the way. He said that Himself, quite emphatically, in
John 14:6:
Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father, but through Me.
(nasb)
Jesus is the way, but the Father is the destination. I think that,
many times in our Christian faith, we really miss the purpose of God.
We talk a great deal about the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, our
Intercessor, our Mediator, and so on. All of these terms are wonderful
and true, but they stop short of Gods purpose. Gods purpose is not
merely that we should come to the Son, but also that, through the
Son, we should come to the Father.
through the Son, I come to the Father. I proclaim that I am a child of
God. Amen.
Fatherhood (audio)
196
Declaring Gods Word
June 14
Accepted!
like the way the King James Version translates Ephesians 1:6,
because of one word in particular: accepted. To the praise of the glory
of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (kjv).
Again, when God says we are accepted, it does not mean we are
just tolerated. It means we are much favored. We are the objects of
His particular, loving care and attention. We are number one on His
list of things to take care of in the universe. He does not push us off in
a corner and say, Wait, Im busy, or I dont have time for you now,
or Dont make a noise; Daddy is sleeping. He says, Im interested
in you. I want you. Youre welcome. Come in; Ive been waiting a long
time for you.
It is like the father in the story of the prodigal son. He was out
there looking for the boy to come home. Others did not have to say,
You know, your son is coming home. The first one to know it was the
father. He knew it before all the rest of the family. Gods attitude to
us in Christ is like that. We are not rejects. We are not second-class
citizens. And we are not servants.
When the prodigal came back, he was willing to be a servant.
He said, Father, just make me one of your hired servants. But if you
read the story carefully, you will notice that when the son confessed
his sins, his father interrupted himhe didnt allow him to finish
speaking. He never allowed him to say, Make me as one of your hired
servants. On the contrary, he said, Bring out the best robe and put it
on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the
fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found (Luke 15:2224). Praise
God!
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that by the
grace of God, I am accepted in the beloved. I proclaim that I am a
child of God. Amen.
From Rejection to Acceptance (audio)
June
197
June 15
In the Fathers Arms

icture a little child held securely by his fathers arm, with his face
pressed against the fathers shoulder. There may be great confusion
and distress all around. The world may seem to be falling apart. But
the little child is totally at peace, not at all concerned by the events
taking place around him. He is secure in his fathers arms.
We, too, are held securely by our Father. Jesus has assured us
that our Father is greater than all who may surround us and that no
one is able to snatch us out of His hand.
Jesus also gave this assurance to His disciples: Do not fear, little
flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke
12:32). We may be just a little flock, surrounded by wild beasts of all
kinds. But if our Father has committed Himself to giving us the kingdom, no power in the universe can withhold it from us.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I am
secure in the Fathers arms. I am a child of God. Amen.
To Please My Father (Teaching Legacy Letter)
198
Declaring Gods Word
June 16
Pleasing the Father

n Philippians 2:3, Paul warned us servants of the Lord, Let nothing

be done through selfish ambition or conceit.
Over the years, I have observed that one persistent, pervasive
problem in the church is personal ambition and competition among
leaders, specifically ministers. Lest I sound judgmental, let me add
that I observed this tendency first and foremost in my own life.
We often make the mistake of equating security with success.
We think, If I build the biggest church or hold the largest meeting or amass
the most names on my mailing list, I will be secure. But this is a delusion.
In actual fact, the more we aim at personal success, the less secure we
become. We are continually threatened by the possibility that someone else might build a bigger church or hold a larger meeting or amass
more names on his mailing list.
As for me, I have found my perfect pattern in Jesus, who said,
The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please
Him (John 8:29). I am no longer motivated by personal ambition. I
have discovered a sweeter, purer motive: simply to please my Father.
I am training myself to approach every situation and decision
with a single, simple question: How can I please my Father? In times of
frustration or apparent failure, I seek to turn my focus from trying to
solve the problem to maintaining an attitude that is pleasing to my
Father. As servants of Christ, there will be no competition among us if
we are motivated by the simple desire to please our Father. Harmony
and mutual concern take the place of striving and self-seeking.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that my
motive in life is to please my Fatherbecause I am a child of God.
Amen.
To Please My Father (Teaching Legacy Letter)
June
199
June 17
Our True Home

nce when I was really concerned about my own spiritual condition, I asked God to make heaven more real to me. I believe
heaven is the home of every child of God.
I have never met a child who did not have a rather clear idea
about his own home. A child might not know the street outside, but
he knows his own home. I think one of the marks of us, as Gods children, is that we feel at home in relationship to heaven. This earth is
beautiful; this life is exciting. But this world is not our final resting
place.
The great saints of God were looking ahead, out of time and into
eternity, and they had some glimpses of what was to come. Physical
death was not going to be a jump into the unknown. They had some
clear revelation of what they could expect. I am looking forward to
the temple. I am looking forward to the angels. And I am looking forward to the four living creatures. There is so much that I am looking
forward to. I think that the sea of glass mingled with crystal is going
to be very exciting. (See, for example, Revelation 3:5; 4:68; 7:15.)
There will be no dull moments in heaven.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed us. I proclaim that heaven
is the home of every child of Godand that includes me, because I
am a child of God. Amen.
Gods Last Word, Vol. 2: Review/Hebrews 8:18:7 (audio)
200
Declaring Gods Word
Week 25:
I am a friend of Christ.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does
not know what his master is doing; but I have called
you friends, for all things that I heard from My
Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15
June 18
Gods Standard of Friendship

las, in the world today, the word friend has been watered down.
It has become a cheap word, and friendship can be a cheap thing.
But I want you to know that Gods standard of friendship has not
changed. For God, friendship is based on covenant commitment.
Through covenant commitment, Abraham became a friend of God.
Under the new covenant, Jesus wants to bring us into the same relationship with Himas His friendsthat Abraham entered into
under the old covenant.
In John 15:15, Jesus said to His disciples,
No longer do I call you slaves,but I have called you friends.

(nasb)
That is a promotion, from being a slave to being a friend. But we
need to understand that, for us just as much as it was for Abraham,
friendship is not cheap. It costs something to be a friend of Jesus.
For us, the basis of friendship with Jesus is the same as it was for
Abraham. It is covenant commitment. Jesus was about to lay down
His life for us when He said, Greater love has no one than this, that one
lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13 nasb). But remember, if we
are to be Jesus friends, we have to lay down our lives for Him. It is a
two-way commitment.
because Jesus laid down His life for me, I will lay down my life for
Him, for I am a friend of Christ. Amen.
Relationship with God (audio)
202
Declaring Gods Word
June 19
Perfect Fellowship
n his first epistle, John said,

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you
also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is
with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

(1 John 1:3 nasb)
In other words, the gospel is an invitation from the Godhead for

us to share the fellowship that the Father and Son share with one
another. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. It is an important
word in New Testament Greek that literally means, sharing in common. So, fellowship is sharing in common. We are invited to share
the same relationship that God the Father and God the Son have
together. One thing is clear about this relationship: God the Father
and God the Son have everything in common. Neither withholds anything from the other.
In John 17:10, Jesus said to His Father,
And all [things that are] mine are thine, and thine are mine.

(kjv)
Thats perfect koinonia, perfect fellowshipthe perfect sharing
of all things. It is the perfect pattern of relationship into which God
wants to bring us.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I have
been invited to share the same relationship that the Father and Son
have together. I enter into that perfect fellowship, because I am a
friend of Christ. Amen.
June
203
June 20
The Price of Friendship

ften, the measure of Gods commitment to you is determined by

the measure of your commitment to Him. God never makes partial commitments, and He does not want any partial commitments.
God has established the price of a relationship with Him. It is everything you have. Hethat forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple (Luke 14:33 kjv).
You may say, That sounds hard. But it is realistic. Let me tell
you two facts about Gods kingdom. First of all, God never has a sale.
He never reduces the price on any item. If you want the relationship
that Peter, Paul, and John had with the Lord, you must pay what they
paid. God has not offered a discount.
The second fact is good news: in Gods kingdom, there is no inflation. The price has never gone up, and it has never gone down. It is
always the same.
The outcome of a commitment to God is peace, security, and joy.
Do you want it? You have to make the decision. Jesus said,
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me.
(Revelation 3:20 kjv)
Notice the order Jesus established in this verse. First, you give
Jesus your supper, and then He gives you His. As Jesus said to His
Father, All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine (John 17:10). Are you
willing to make that kind of commitment to God?
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I am
willing to pay the price of total commitment to that relationship, for I
am a friend of Christ. Amen.
204
Declaring Gods Word
June 21
Enjoying God
ight at the beginning of human history, when man first related

to God, their relationship was so simple. There were not a lot of
religious rituals and paraphernalia. Enoch just walked with God (see
Genesis 5:22, 24). As we go on further in the Bible, we meet the great
father of the faith, Abraham, with his most honorable title, which was
friend of God (James 2:23). He and God simply enjoyed one anothers
company.
I sometimes long to get away from all the theology and all the
religious formalities and just have a relationship of being Gods
friendwalking with Him and enjoying His company. I really believe
God loves to be enjoyed by His people.
Sometimes, we get so preoccupied with methodology and theology and doctrine that we lose sight of God in the midst of it all. We
get into the middle of the forest, where all we can see are trees. We no
longer can see the whole picture. Then, we have to back out of the forest, take a fresh look around, and consider adjusting our priorities.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim my desire
to walk with God and enjoy His company, for I am a friend of Christ.
Amen.
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June 22
The Measure of Commitment

od entered into covenant with Abraham, as recorded in Genesis

15. Each person involvedGod and Abrahammade a total
commitment. There came a time when God called on Abraham to fulfill his commitment and offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. But Gods
commitment was just as total as Abrahams. So, two thousand years
later, the other side of the covenant came to the fore: God gave up His
only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember that the commitment you make to God usually determines the measure of Gods commitment to you. Total commitment
to God calls for total commitment from God. That is the very essence
of a covenant relationship. However, Abrahams covenant with God
had a further practical effect on his personal relationship with God.
In his epistle, James spoke about what Abraham did when he offered
up Isaac, and the result of his willingness to do so.
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered
up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with
his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and
the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And Abraham believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was
called the friend of God.
(James 2:2123 nasb)
Through that covenant commitment and through its outworking
in the offering up of Isaac, Abraham was reckoned as Gods friend.
That is a very significant and honorable title. The lesson is this: covenant is the door to true friendship. When two individuals make a
covenant with one another and live out the terms of their covenant,
that is true friendship at work.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim my total
commitment to God, and His to meour covenant is the door to
true friendship. I proclaim that I am a friend of Christ. Amen.
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June 23
Submitting to Gods Instruction

hen God sets out to teach, He chooses His students on the basis
of their characternot on their intellectual abilities, academic
degrees, or social standing. He looks for an inner attitude of the heart
toward Himself, an attitude of reverent submission and respect. Furthermore, God sets the curriculum. He teaches such individuals in
the way that he [God] shall choose (Psalm 25:12 kjv). Often, the way
God chooses is not the way that we would choose for ourselves. We
might incline toward themes of prophecy or revelation that seem profound, whereas Gods curriculum might focus on what is humble and
down-to-earth: service, sacrifice, and faithfulness.
For those who submit to Gods instruction, there is a wonderful
reward: The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him (Psalm 25:14
kjv). In human relationships, we share our secrets only with those
whom we trust. Likewise, when God shares His secrets with us, it is
proof that we have earned His trust. It is our certificate of graduation
from His school.
This truth is illustrated beautifully in the relationship of Jesus
to His disciples. After He had put them through three years of rigorous discipline, He told them, I no longer call you servants, because
a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you
friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known
to you (John 15:15 niv). First, Jesus Himself learned from the Father
through perfect submission to Him. Then, Jesus, in turn, passed on
all He had learned from the Father to those who submitted in like
manner to Him.
God still chooses His students on this basis. Neither His requirements nor His curriculum have changed.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim my desire
to submit completely to the Lords instruction and thereby to become
His friend, for I am a friend of Christ. Amen.
Through the Psalms with Derek Prince (book)
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June 24
Intelligent Partners with God

he first man, Adam, was not a slave, for God called him to intelligent partnership. When God wanted the animals to be named, He
said, Adam, come here and look at these animals. Tell Me what you
think they should be named. In Hebrew, a name is always indicative
of ones nature. So, in naming the animals, Adam had to understand
their natures and their relationships to one another. Whatever Adam
called an animal, that was its name. God did not name the animals;
He told Adam to do that. But God gave Adam the insight and the
wisdom that he needed to complete the assignment. Likewise, in our
new relationship with God in Jesus Christ, we are not slaves; rather,
we are intelligent partners with God.
John 15:15 is an astonishing statement:
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his
masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

(niv)
Jesus held nothing back. If there is something we do not know,
it is because we have not availed ourselves of what is revealed. But
the real problem comes in doing what we already know. Jesus acted
on everything the Father showed Him; if we would do the same, the
same revelation would be made available to us.
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I want
to avail myself of all that the Lord reveals, and to follow through on
what I already know. I proclaim that I am a friend of Christ. Amen.
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Week 26:
I have been made righteous through faith.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
June 25
Made Righteous
e are justified through faith in the blood of Jesus. Lets read

what Paul wrote about this in Romans:
Now to him [the religious person] that worketh is the reward

not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness.
(Romans 4:45 kjv)
Notice verse 5. The first thing you have to do is to stop trying to
make yourself righteous. Stop trying to be a little better. Call a halt to
all that. To him that worketh not. What should we do? Lets look again
at the end of that passage: But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness
(verse 5 kjv). Just believe. Is it that simple? If it is not that simple, we
will never make it. God makes unrighteous people righteousthat is
what the Scripture says, and I believe it.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 kjv)
I like to change the order of the words in that verse, substituting
specific names for the pronouns. For God has made Jesus, who knew
no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Jesus. There is the complete exchange. Jesus was made sin with
our sinfulness so that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.
This righteousness is available through faith in His blood. We are
made righteous through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that righteousness is

available through faith in Your blood. I have been made righteous
through faith. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict Series, Vol. 3: Gods People Triumphant: Spiritual WeaponsThe Blood, The
Word, Our Testimony (audio)
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June 26
One Act of Obedience

For as through the one mans disobedience the many were made
sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will
be made righteous.
(Romans 5:19 nasb)
y Adams one act of disobedience, manythat is, allof his

descendants were made sinners. But by Jesus one act of obedience, all who believe in Him are made righteous.
The parallel is important because the people who became sinners
as a result of Adams sin, including you and me, were not just sinners
by label; they were sinners by nature and by act.
Correspondingly, when we are made righteous through faith in
Jesus, it is not that God just puts a new label on us by taking away the
label sinner and applying the label righteous. Rather, we are actually made righteous, by nature and by act.
Just as surely as Adams disobedience made us all sinners, in
exactly the same way, Christs obedience can make us all righteous.
Not just in theory, not just in theology, but in the way we livein the
very nature that is in us.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that by one single act
of obedience on Your part, I have been made righteous through faith.
Amen.
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June 27
Products of Righteousness
ighteousness produces certain immediate and definite observable

results. The whole of our lives, including our attitudes, our relationships, and the effectiveness of our acts of Christian service, will
depend on how far we realize that we have been made righteous. We
read in Proverbs 28:1, The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the
righteous are bold as a lion (kjv). Few Christians today are bold. Most
are timid, apologetic; they back down when confronted with evil.
The root cause is a failure to realize that they are righteous in Gods
sightas righteous as Jesus Christ Himself. When we acknowledge
and appreciate that fact, it makes us bold.
Lets look at some other results of righteousness. Isaiah 32:17
says, And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever (kjv). This passage speaks
of three products of righteousness: peace, quietness, and assurance,
which come when we realize that we have been made righteous with
Jesus Christs righteousness. Romans 14:17 tells us, For the kingdom
of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost (kjv). Peace, quietness, joy, and assurance are products
of righteousness. If we do not receive righteousness by faith, we may
struggle to achieve these results, but in vain. It is pathetic to see Christians trying to be joyful, have peace, relax, and have assurancejust
because somebody told them they ought to. My experience is that
when Christians really receive the assurance of the forgiveness of
sin and of righteousness by faith, the results of righteousness follow
automatically. The key is getting people to realize that they have been
made righteous with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that the righteousness
of Jesus brings boldness, peace, quietness, and assurance, which I
receive because I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict Series, Vol. 3: Gods People Triumphant: Spiritual WeaponsThe Blood, The
Word, Our Testimony (audio)
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June 28
The Gift of Righteousness

esus said in Matthew 6:33, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness (kjv). Any other righteousness we might endeavor
to seek is on too low a level. The only righteousness that will admit us
into heaven is the righteousness of God, which comes only by faith in
Jesus Christ. It is received by faith as a gift. Here is the first specific
manifestation of Gods grace in the lives of those who come to Him
through Jesus Christ: righteousness. God cannot do anything for us
until He has made us righteous; it is the first thing He does when we
approach Him.
You would probably agree that the majority of Christians have
never grasped this truth. In fact, I think you will find that much
of the churchs liturgyincluding our music and our hymnsare
designed to leave us sin-conscious. In many cases, we almost feel that
its presumptuous to consider ourselves anything but sinful. This is a
remarkable fact.
There is one thing the devil fights against as powerfully as anything else, and that is any person who begins to realize what it is to
be made righteous by faith. Satan will keep you, by any means that he
can, under some measure of condemnation and guilt, and hell keep
you feeling very religious about it, too.
Many people would feel embarrassed or presumptuous to call
themselves righteous, for they think that they have to earn righteousness. Scripture, however, emphasizes that, rather than being
something we can merit, righteousness is a gift no one deserves. It is
a free, unmerited gift. You either receive it as a gift, or you live without it. The choice is yours.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that I receive the
righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ as a free and unmerited
gift. I proclaim that I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.
The Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Vol. 1: Gifts of Revelation and Power: Explanation of the
Greek Word Charisma (audio)
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June 29
Life in the Son

y putting our faith in Jesus Christs sacrificial death on our behalf,

by letting Him bear the guilt of our sin, and by receiving, by faith,
His righteousness, which is imputed to us, we are justified. In that
righteousness, I can face God, death, and eternity without a tremor,
without fear.
The apostle John wrote in his first epistle,
And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does
not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have
written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order
that you may know that you have eternal life.

(1 John 5:1113 nasb)
God has given a testimony to the whole human race that He has
offered to us eternal life. This life is in the person of His Son, Jesus
Christ. If we receive Jesus Christ, in Him we have received eternal
life.
Notice, this is stated in the present tense: He who has the Son
has the life. It is not something that is going to happen after death. It
is something that happens now, in this time-space world. If you wait
until after death to accept His life, you will have waited too long; it
will be too late. Settle that issue now! He who has the Son has life.
Make sure that you, too, have life!
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that I have life now,
because I have the Son. I proclaim that I have been made righteous
through faith. Amen.
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June 30
The Life of the Vine

o explain to people the importance of having Him in their lives,

Jesus used an analogy about the vine and the branches. (See John
15:18.) Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches (verse 5). He
was very specific. He has given us a point of orientation in interpreting the whole picture. Jesus Himself is the vine.
For a vine to live and bear fruit, there must be sapa source of
nutrients that flows up from the roots, through the trunk, and into
the branches. If the sap does not reach the branches, however, they
will wither and fail to bear fruit. The key to the life of the vine is the
sap, which represents the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:10, Paul said,
If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit
is life because of righteousness.
(kjv)
We experienced Christs death because of our sins. But, having
experienced His death, we enter into His life because of His righteousness imputed to us through faith. (See Romans 6:68.) And,
having His righteousness, we partake of His life. We partake of the
life that flows from the roots, through the trunk of the vine, and into
the branches. Paul told us in Romans 8:10 that the life is the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit is life.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that the life of
the vine, which is the Holy Spirit, flows in me. I have been made
righteous through faith. Amen.
The Vine and the Branches (audio)
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July 1
Imputed and Outworked Righteousness

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

(Revelation 19:78 kjv)
here are two Greek words that mean righteousness. One is

dikaiosune, the other is dikaioma. Dikaiosune is righteousness as
an abstract concept. Dikaioma is righteousness manifested in act, or
an act of righteousness. When you and I believe in Jesus Christ, His
righteousnessdikaiosuneis imputed to us. We are made righteous
with His righteousness. When we live out our faith, we express that
imputed righteousness in dikaioma, which is outworked righteousness, or an act of righteousness.
It is interesting to note that the word used here in Revelation is
the plural form of dikaioma, dikaiomata. The fine linen is the righteous
acts of the saints. It is a very searching statement. His wife hath made
herself ready. She has done this by her acts of righteousness.
Every culture that I have encountered has embraced one common
rule regarding marriage ceremonies. The bridegroom never prepares
the bride; rather, the bride always prepares herself. The responsibility
is placed on her alone. The Scripture says that the wife of Christ, the
church, has made herself ready by her outworked righteous acts. The
imputed righteousness of Christ will not avail for the bridal feast. It
must be the outworked righteousnessacts that we believers perform because of Christs gift of righteousness, given freely to us.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that I am living out
my faith, expressing imputed righteousness, and acting out my faith,
expressing outworked righteousness. I proclaim that I have been made
righteous through faith. Amen.
The Vine and the Branches (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 27:
I have been united with God
and have become one in spirit with Him.
He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
1 Corinthians 6:1
July 2
United with God

t is so important to understand the distinction between the human

spirit and the soul. It is not the soul that is united with God, but the
spiritfor the spirit was created for union with God; indeed, it cannot live out of union with God. As a result of regeneration, the spirit
of the born-again believer is able to unite with God.
Let us review three simple descriptions of the orientations of
spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is God-conscious. The soul is selfconscious. The body is world-conscious.
Through our spirits, we are conscious of God. In our souls, we are
conscious of ourselves. And through our bodies and their senses, we
relate to the world around us.
When mans spirit is reunited with God, the rekindled spirit
becomes a lamp. Filled with the Holy Spirit, it illuminates the inward
nature of man which was dark and alienated from God up to that
time. We need to remember that when the Bible was written, the fuel
for every lamp was olive oil, and olive oil is always a type, or symbol,
of the Holy Spirit.
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.
(Proverbs 20:27 nasb)
When the spirit of man is brought back into union with God and
the Holy Spirit comes in and fills up that lamp, then the lamp inside
manhis spiritis illuminated, shedding light on his entire inner
being. He is no longer in darkness.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that in union

with the Lord, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, I am no longer
in darkness. I proclaim that I have been united with God and have
become one in spirit with Him. Amen.
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July 3
Joined to the Lord

f you have never been shocked by the Bible, you have probably
never really read it, because the Bible says some extremely shocking
things. Take 1 Corinthians 6:16, for example: Or do you not know that
he who is joined to a harlot [prostitute] is one body with her? For the two,
He [God] says, shall become one flesh. We all understand what this
verse is talking aboutsexual immorality, fornication, and being
physically united with a prostitute. With that context in mind, look
at what Paul said next: But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with
Him (verse 17). This verse cannot be taken out of context. As we have
seen, in verse 17, Paul was talking about a union that is just as real as
the sexual unionnot a physical union, but a spiritual union. That is
what it means to be married to the One who is risen from the dead. It
is not our souls that are united to the Lord; rather, it is our spirits, for
he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
Your soul is capable of theology, and it is probably overburdened
with it, but your spirit knows God. The spirit is the God-inbreathed
part of man. That is what brought man into being in the first place in
the garden of Eden. The Lord breathed into Adams nostrils the spirit
of life. (See Genesis 2:7.) And that part of man never finds rest until
it is reunited with God. You can chase after all the pleasures and philosophies of the world, but your spirit is not interested in them. Your
spirit just wants God, and it is your spirit that can be united with God
just as truly as a body of a man can be united with the body of a prostitute. Never separate those two verses. They are totally different, but
their analogy is exact and helps us to understand their relationship.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that he who is

joined to the Lord is one spirit with Himand that this truth applies
to me. I have been united with God and have become one in spirit
with Him. Amen.
Who Has Bewitched You?: The Only Basis for Righteousness (audio)
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July 4
Spirit to Spirit
here are many facets of the truths about the Old Testament tabernacle of God. One essential, basic fact is that it was a triune building. In other words, it was three in one. It was one single place, but
there were three areas: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy
of Holies.
In this trinity, we find many references to eternal truth. For
instance, God is three in oneFather, Son, and Spiritthree persons in one God. Man is likewise triune; one man is made up of spirit,
soul, and body. I believe that heaven is triune, as well. There are three
heavensthe visible heaven, which we see; an intermediate heaven,
which is the headquarters of Satans kingdom; and a third heaven,
which is where God dwells; this is the current location of paradise.
I also believe that the three areas of the tabernacle correspond to
the three areas of human personality. The Outer Court, with its natural light of sun, moon, and stars, corresponds to the physical body
with the physical senses, which are the source of understanding or
perception. The Holy Place corresponds to mans soul, and it speaks
about revealed truth. And the Holy of Holies corresponds to mans
spirit and speaks about directly apprehended truth. This is truth that
is apprehended only by direct, personal contact with God, for it is the
spirit of man alone that is united with God. He who is joined to the
Lord is one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)not one soul or one body, but
one spirit.
Direct contact with God is spirit to Spirit, and that is where direct
revelation comes.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that my direct,

personal contact with God is spirit to Spirit. I proclaim that I have
been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him.
Amen.
Reigning Now with Christ: We Are a Kingdom of Priests (audio)
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July 5
Communion with God

ets look at some of the functions of the spirit as it relates to the

soul and the body. We have seen that the spirit is God-conscious,
the soul is self-conscious, and the body is world-conscious. It is very
important to understand that the soul is self-conscious. Whenever
people are focused on themselvestheir own problems and needs
they are operating in the realm of the soul.
The primary activity of the spirit is union with God. It is the only
part of man that can be directly united with God. In 1 Corinthians
6:17, Paul said, He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Himnot
one soul, not one body, but one spirit. The great privilege we have
with our spirits is union and communion with God. The highest activity of mans spirit is worship.
Mans soul contains these three elements: will, intellect, and
emotions. The will is the part of me that says, I want; the intellect is
the part that says, I think; and the emotions are the part of me that
says, I feel. Together, these three components make up the soul.
The body is world-conscious; through the senses, the body contacts the surrounding time-space world. Gods original purpose was
that mans spirit should direct his soul, and that his soul should direct
his body. The spirit can direct the body only through the soul. There
is one exception to this, and that is speaking in tongues. That is why
speaking in tongues is such a unique experience. When we speak in
tongues, our spirits control the physical member, the tongue, without
the souls involvement. That is why it is such a tremendously important experience.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that I have been
united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.
Who Am I?: Why You Have a Body (audio)
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July 6
Worship in the Spirit

s we fulfill the Lords requirement for our bodies and our souls,
our spirits are liberated to enter into a fellowship with Goda
fellowship even more wonderful than that which was lost through
the fall. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:17, But he who is joined to the Lord
is one spirit with Him. The implication is clear. The redeemed spirit can
now enjoy a union with God that is close and intimate. It is the spirit
alone, howevernot the soul or the bodythat can experience this
direct, intimate union with God.
It is primarily through the act of worship that our spirits enter
into this union with God. In John 4:2324, Jesus said, The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.God is Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Jesus made it
clear that true worship must be an activity of our spirits.
In the contemporary church, there is little understanding of the
nature of worship, mainly because we do not discern the difference
between the spirit and the soul. Worship is not entertainmentthat
belongs in the theater, not the church. Nor is worship the same as
praise. We praise God with our souls, and it is right to do so. Through
our praise we have access to Gods presence. But once we are in His
presence, it is through worship that we enjoy true spiritual union
with Him. To be able to worship God in this way is the goal of salvationfirst on earth, then later in heaven. It is the highest and holiest
activity of which a human being is capable. Worship, however, is possible only when the soul and the body come into submission to the
spirit and in harmony with it. Such worship is often too profound for
words. It becomes an intense and silent union with God.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that my highest

activity is union with God, to worship in spirit and truth. I have been
united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.
Spirit, Soul and Body (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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July 7
Spiritual Fruit
orship is the act by which we are joined to the Lord as one spirit.
That is why worship is the highest activity of human beings.
Again, when we are joined to the Lord in worship, we begin to bring
forth (or birth) the things that God wants brought forth.
Worship is not an appendix to the Christian life; it is not a little addition to services. It is the culmination. It is the confirmation.
Once more, if I may put it in this way without offending anyone, it is
the consummation of our marriage to the Lord. We are united with
Him as one spirit, and when we have that marriage union, it is always
for the sake of procreation. That is when spiritual fruit comes out of
our lives.
You need to know the identity of the husband with whom you
are united. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1921, Now the deeds of the flesh
are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (nasb). The
deeds of the flesh are all too evident. You can tell people that you
are spiritual, but if you are truly fleshly, it will show. Let me ask you
this: Do you want your children to act like what is described in the
passage from Galatians? Because that is what the flesh brings forth.
You cannot find one good thing in that entire list. The flesh cannot
produce anything acceptable to God. It is corrupt. Jesus said that a
corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. (See Matthew 7:18.) It is
impossible.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that my goal of

being united with God is to bring forth spiritual fruit. I proclaim that I
have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him.
Amen.
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July 8
Channels of Spiritual Life

The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.
(Proverbs 20:27 nasb)
et us recall that when the spirit of man is brought back into union
with God, and the Holy Spirit comes in and fills up that lamp, then
that lamp inside man is illuminated and sheds light on his whole
inner being. He is no longer in darkness. Furthermore, the reborn
spirit becomes a channel through which the Holy Spirit can flow out
into this world. Jesus said,
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke
of the Spirit [the Holy Spirit], whom those who believed in Him
were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus
was not yet glorified.
(John 7:3839 nasb)
After the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost, the regenerated spirit of man became a channel or riverbed through which rivers of spiritual life could flow out into this world. That is a marvelous
transformation, because just before saying the above, Jesus said, If
any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink (verse 37). So, this
transformation of regeneration and the infilling of the Holy Spirit
produces a marvelous changea man who was thirsty, who did not
even have enough for himself, now becomes a channel through which
waters of spiritual life can flow out to the needy world around him.
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that I will be a

channel through which the Holy Spirit and waters of spiritual life can
flow out to reach a needy world. I proclaim that I have been united
with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.
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Week 28:
I have been bought at a price;
I belong to God.
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,
and you are not your own? For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are Gods.
1 Corinthians 6:1920
July 9
Belonging to Jesus
I have been bought at a price; I belong to God.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not
your own?
(1 Corinthians 6:19 nasb)
hy are you not your own? Because somebody else has bought
you. When you have been bought by somebody else, then you
no longer belong to yourself.
Who bought you? Jesus. With what method of payment? His
blood. So, if you have been bought by Jesus, remember, you do not
belong to yourself. If you belong to yourself, then you are not bought
with the blood of Jesus. Again, you cannot belong to yourself and
to the Lord. The Lord wants you for Himself. He has paid the price
of His precious blood. If you want to hold on to your own life, then,
remember, you have not been bought with a price. You cannot have it
both ways. If you belong to God, you do not belong to yourself. If you
belong to yourself, you do not belong to God.
For you have been bought with a price [the precious blood of
Jesus]: therefore [because of the price that has been paid for
you] glorify [honor] God in your body.
(verse 20)
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid a total price for a total
redemption. He did not redeem just a part of you. He redeemed the
whole of youspirit, soul, and body. Jesus died to redeem you. If
you have accepted redemption through His blood, then you are not
your own; you now belong to Him. Both your spirit and your body are
Gods, because Jesus paid the price of His blood to possess you.
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that Jesus
paid the total price for my redemption. I have been bought at a price;
I belong to God. Amen.
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July 10
Instruments God Uses

he Bible teaches that the physical body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit, and that when Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood,
He redeemed our bodies in addition to our spirits and souls. We belong
to Him entirelyspirit, soul, and body.
God has a sincere interest in, and a specific purpose for, our bodies. The body is to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians
6:19.) It is to be the place in man where the Holy Spirit dwells. The
Bible tells us that God does not dwell in temples made by hands. (See
Acts 7:48.) We can build Him as many churches, synagogues, or tabernacles as we like, but God will not dwell there. God has chosen to dwell
in the physical bodies of those who believe in Him. Thus, the believers
body has an important function as a residence of the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, Paul explained this about our physical members:
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto
sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God (Romans
6:13 kjv). The various members of the physical body are intended to
be instruments (or weapons) that God can use. They do not belong to
us; they belong to God. We are to yield them to God.
It is logical and obvious that God wants His weapons in good
condition, not feeble or broken-down. He wants our bodies to be
healthy and our members to be strong, effective, and active, because
they are the members of Christ. In a certain sense, Christ has no body
on the earth except ours. Our bodies are the instruments God uses to
enact His will on the earth. I have become convinced that God expects
us to keep our bodies as strong and as healthy as we can.
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that the
members of my physical body are instruments God can use, and I
yield them to Him. I have been bought at a price; I belong to God.
Amen.
How to Fast Successfully (book)
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July 11
The Pearl of Great Price

n Matthew 13:4546, Jesus told a parable that, in my opinion, most

beautifully describes the wonder of our redemption:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went
and sold all that he had and bought it.
For me, this parable depicts the redemption of a human soul.

Jesus is the merchantnot a tourist or a sightseer, but a man who
has dealt in pearls all His lifeand He knows the exact value of every
pearl. The pearl that He has purchased is just one human soulyours
or mine. It cost Him all He had, everything He owned.
Updated to our contemporary culture, I can picture the scene
when that merchant broke the news to his wife.
Honey, Ive sold our car.
You sold our car! Well, at least we still have a roof over our
heads.
No, I sold our house, too!
Whatever made you do all that?
I found the most beautiful pearl Ive ever seen. Ive been looking
all my life for such a pearl. It cost me everything I had. Wait till you
see it!
What does this mean to you and me? Each of us may picture ourselves as that one priceless pearl worth everything Jesus hadeven
His own blood.
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that I am
that priceless pearl purchased by God. I have been bought at a price;
I belong to God. Amen.
Do You Realize How Valuable You Are? (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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July 12
His Forever!
emember, it cost Jesus everything He had to buy you back to Himself. Though He was Lord of the entire universe, He laid aside all
His authority and power to die in absolute poverty. He owned nothing. The burial clothes and the tomb in which He was buried were
both borrowed.
Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you
through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Perhaps you have never seen yourself as important. Maybe you

have a poor self-image or low sense of self-esteem. You may look back
on a life of pain and disappointmenta deprived and unhappy childhood, a marriage that ended in divorce, a career that never materialized, or years wasted on drugs and alcohol. Your past and your future
both convey the same message: failure!
Not so to Jesus! He loved you so much that He gave up everything to redeem you for Himself. Repeat the beautiful words of the
apostle Paul, making them your own: The Son of Godloved me and
gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). Say it again: God loved me and
gave Himself for me. And again, The Son of God loved me and gave
Himself for me.
See yourself as that pearl held in the nail-scarred hand of Jesus.
Hear Him saying to you, Youre so beautiful! You cost Me everything
I had, but I dont regret it. Now youre Mine forever!
You cannot do anything to earn this. You can never change yourself or make yourself good. All that you can do is to accept what Jesus
has done for you and thank Him for it! You belong to Him forever!
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that Jesus
loved me and gave Himself for me, and I belong to Him forever! I
have been bought at a price; I belong to God. Amen.
Do You Realize How Valuable You Are? (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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July 13
The Purchase Price

onsider the price that Jesus paid. The price is stated very clearly
in various parts of the New Testament. In Acts 20:28, Paul
addressed the elders of the church at Ephesus, saying, Therefore take
heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased
with His own blood.
Notice that Paul gave to Jesus the specific title of God. He said,
Godpurchased [the church] with His own blood. The purchase price
was the blood of Jesus. Then, in 1 Peter 1:17, we read, And if you call on
the Father, who without partiality judges according to each ones work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. He was not
talking about a slavish fear, but rather about a deep sense of responsibility that comes due to the price that Jesus paid to redeem us. We
must never treat ourselves as cheap. When we realize we have been
redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we cannot afford to make ourselves
cheap.
You were not redeemed with corruptible [perishable] things, like
silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot.
(verses 1819)
The price Jesus paid to redeem us was His precious blood. He is

called the Lamb of God, without blemish and without spot. A blemish
is something a creature is born with. A spot is something that would
mar or stain it afterward. Jesus is without blemish, meaning He is
without original sin, and He is without spot, meaning He is without
personal sin. It is His perfect blood that has redeemed us.
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that I have
been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. I have been bought
at a price; I belong to God. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 4: The Cost of Redemption (audio)
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July 14
Presenting Our Bodies

t is important to truly understand that Jesus redeemed the whole

person: spirit, soul, and body. One reason for the redemption of the
body was so that it might become the temple of the Lord. The Lord is
not going to dwell in a temple that has not been redeemed, one that
still belongs to Satan. He will not dwell there. Our bodies have been
redeemed so that God may dwell in them by His Holy Spirit. They
were redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
What is the response that God requires from us? This is where
it becomes extremely practical and is very important for all of us to
understand. Paul said,
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service.
(Romans 12:1)
Given all that God has done for us through Jesus death on the
cross, how are we expected to respond? We are to present our bodies
as living sacrifices. Why living sacrifices? Paul was contrasting living sacrifices with the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which involved
the bodies of animals being killed and then placed on Gods altar as
an offering to wipe away sin and guilt. Paul was saying, Place your
body on Gods altar, but dont kill it. Place it on the altar as a living
sacrifice. Once you have placed your body on Gods altar, it no longer
belongs to you. It belongs to God. Everything that was offered as a
sacrifice on Gods altar became His.
That is exactly what God asks us to do, to present our bodies to
Him as living sacrifices, to give up the ownership of our bodies and to
put them in Gods hands.
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that I am
presenting my body to You as a living sacrifice. I have been bought at
a price; I belong to God. Amen.
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July 15
Sanctified, Set Apart, Translated

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his
own blood, suffered without the gate.
(Hebrews 13:12 kjv)
he blood of Jesus sanctifies each believer. Again, sanctify is a religious word, and many people are confused about its meaning. The
word sanctify is related to the word saint and is directly related in the
original biblical languages to the word for holy. So, to sanctify means
to make saintly, or to make holy. Holiness includes the aspect of
being set apart to God. The one who is sanctified finds himself in an
area where God has access to him but the devil does not. To be sanctified is to be removed from the area of Satans reach and placed in an
area where we are available to God. That is what it is to be sanctified:
set apart to God, made holy. Just like righteousness, sanctification
does not come by works, by effort, or by religion. It comes only by
faith in the blood of Jesus. You belong to God, you are under Gods
control, and you are available to God. Anything that is not of God has
no right of approach to you; it is kept away by the blood.
In Colossians 1:1213, Paul wrote, Giving thanks to the Father, who
has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of
light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us
into the kingdom of the Son he loves (niv). Through faith in the blood of
Jesus, we have been removed from the area of Satans authority and
translated into the kingdom of God. We have been totally translated.
We are not going to be translated; we have already been translated
spirit, soul, and body. We are not in the devils territory. We are not
under the devils laws. We are in the territory of the Son of God, and
we are under His laws.
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that I have
been sanctified, set apart to God, and translated into the kingdom of
God. I have been bought at a price; I belong to God. Amen.
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Week 29:
I am a member of the body of Christ.
Now you are the body of Christ, and members
individually.
1 Corinthians 12:27
July 16
Finding Our Place

roverbs 27:8 says, Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who
wanders from his place. Have you ever seen a bird that got out of its
nest and could not get back in again? Nothing is more weak and pitiful than that. This image aptly illustrates what it is to be out of your
place. I have counseled many people whom I simply had to tell, One
of your problems is that you are not in your right geographical place.
This is not the place where you ought to be. You will never really flourish until you find your place.
However, your place is not primarily a geographical location;
rather, it is a place in God, a place in the body of Christ. Scripture says
that every one of us should be a member of the body. As a member,
each one of us has to fit into the right place for that member. A hand
looks ridiculous at the end of a leg. A foot looks ridiculous at the end
of an arm. You have to find out what kind of a member you are so that
you will fit into the place that is appropriate for you.
Godhas saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

(2 Timothy 1:89)
That is a tremendous passage, almost unsearchable in its depth.
It says that God has saved us, but it does not stop there. There is no
punctuation; he continued immediately, and called us. To be saved is
to be called. There is no one who is saved but not called.
There are multitudes of Christians who are saved and do not
know their callings. But it is not because they are not called. When
you are saved, you are saved to a calling. You will be frustrated and
unfulfilled until you find and fulfill your calling.
Thank You, Jesus, for making me a part of Your body. I proclaim that
I find my place and my calling in You. I am a member of the body of
Christ. Amen.
Finding Your Place: Your Calling Is Holy (audio)
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July 17
We Need One Another

n Ephesians 1:2223, Paul provided a picture of Gods people here

on earth. He said, The churchis His [Christs] body. Paul developed this theme in 1 Corinthians, saying, Now you are the body of
Christ, and members individually (1 Corinthians 12:27). He used various examples from the physical body to emphasize the fact that, as
Christians, we are all interdependent; we all need one another.
The most complete and authoritative picture of the church as the
body of Christ is given in Ephesians. It is most significant, therefore,
that throughout this epistle, Paul spoke consistently of Christians
in the plural. He had virtually nothing to say to or about individual
Christians. (See Ephesians 1:312.) A careful reading of the rest of
Ephesians will confirm that this is the books message from beginning to end. There are no promises and no prayers for any individual.
Only in the last six verses is there one brief exception: Paul closed by
asking for special prayer for himself.
This focus on the collective body of Christ comes to its climax in
Ephesians 6:1018, where Paul spoke about our spiritual warfare. In
verse 12, all the key words are in the pluralboth those that refer to
Gods people and those that refer to the opposing forces: we wrestle
against principalities, powers, rulers, and hosts.
Depicted thusly, spiritual warfare is not a conflict between individuals, but a vast war between opposing armies. There is no room
here for lone rangers pursuing their individual goals. Victory will
require controlled and concerted action by Gods people, working
together as members of one body. This will demand discipline and a
readiness to submit to scriptural authority.
Thank You, Jesus, for making me a part of Your body. I proclaim

that I am not alone, but I take my stand with the rest of the body of
Christ, for I am a member of the body of Christ. Amen.
Because of the Angels, Part 3: Principles of Spiritual Protection (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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July 18
My Specific Place
esus said that if we have faith as a mustard seed, we can move

a mountain. (See Matthew 17:20.) It is not the quantity of your
faith, but rather the quality, that matters. Faith is given to those who
are realistic and humble.
Why does God give you a specific measure of faith? (See Romans
12:3.) Because He has a specific place for you in the body of Christ.
He has ordained you to serve a specific function as a specific member
of the body of Christ. The faith He has given you is designed for your
position in the body. If God wants you to be a hand, He will give you
hand faith. If He wants you to be an ear, He will give you ear faith.
If He wants you to be a toe, He will give you toe faith. But if you are
a toe and you are trying to be a nose, there will be a complete imbalance between what you are trying to do and the faith that you have.
The reason is not that you do not have enough faith, but that you are
trying to use your faith for something for which it was not meant to
be used. It was given for the specific job and place you have in the
body of believers.
My hand does a wonderful job as a hand. It opens my Bible, turning the pages. It does most everything I ask of it. But if should I try to
do those jobs with my foot, I would be in trouble.
If you are always struggling for faith, you are probably trying to
do the wrong job. You are a hand trying to be a foot, or a foot trying to
be a hand. This is Gods way of guiding you into your place.
God is guiding me into my specific place, for I am a member of the
body of Christ. Amen.
Finding Your Place: Your Calling Is Holy (audio)
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July 19
Knit Together
aul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 12 that each member depends

on the other. No member is independent of the others. The eye
cannot say to the hand, I dont need you. The head cannot say to the
foot, I dont need you. Even the weakest members can be the ones
that are actually the most important.
No member of the human body is more vulnerable or sensitive
than the eye. Yet few, if any, are more valuable. Notice how carefully
nature has protected the eye all around. The primary function of several other areas of the face is to protect the eye. But the eye gets all
that protection and honor not because it is strong, but because it is
weak. This is the way the body has been knit together. The strong
must protect the weak. We cannot ignore or despise any member of
the body of Christ, big or small, strong or weak.
This principle is true of the members of Christs body. We need
one another; we depend on one another. We must honor one another.
When one member suffers, the others suffer with it. When one member is honored, the others are honored with it. (See 1 Corinthians
12:26.) That is the nature of the universal body of Jesus Christ, the
church.
I am knit together with other membersand I honor themfor I am
a member of the body of Christ. Amen.
The Church, Vol. 1: Universal and Local: The Universal Church (audio)
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July 20
Working Together
For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you
not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to
think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a
measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body
and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who
are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one
of another.
(Romans 12:35 nasb)
he renewed mind directs us to our proper place in the body. We

come to realize that each of us is just one member, incomplete on
our own, incapable of functioning on our own as God intends us to
function. In order to be complete and to function in accordance with
Gods purpose and plan, each of us has to become a member in the
body. We have to be joined to other members by a kind of commitment that enables us to work together, and not just as isolated individuals.
When traveling on airplanes, I have often marveled as the planes
navigation system zeroed in on the particular airport and the two
locked on to one another. The plane came down in exactly the right
place at exactly the right speed to make a safe and smooth landing. I
suggest thinking of your renewed mind like the navigation system of
an airplane. When you synchronize yourself with the Spirit of God,
then your renewed mind brings you down into exactly the right place
in the bodyyou become a member of Gods body, the body of Christ,
the church.
Thank You, Jesus, for making me a part of Your body. I proclaim

that the Lord is bringing me into exactly the right place in His body,
because I am a member of the body of Christ. Amen.
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July 21
Treating One Another Right

he world is full of all kinds of people. Just looking at someones

exterior, you might say, I dont see much to get excited about.
You could look in the mirror and perhaps say the same thing about
yourself. But we need to look below the surface and see our brothers
and sisters as members of the body of Christpeople for whom Jesus
shed His blood and died.
If we fail to appreciate and honor other people, we are grieving
the heart of the Lord, because the Lord loves everyone enough to
die for them. It grieves the Lord bitterly if we have a wrong attitude
toward a member of His body, if we look down on others and discount
their value.
I believe that was the problem of the people of Corinth, whom
Paul addressed in two epistles. There were many wrong relationships
between them. They did not discern the Lords body in one another
(see 1 Corinthians 11:29), and Paul said, For this reason many are weak
and sick among you, and many sleep [have died] (verse 30). I suppose
this reason could well be the major cause of sickness among Christians today. I have to say, with deep regret, that many Christians do
not treat one another at all like fellow members of Christs body.
I will, by Your grace, honor other members, seeing them as individuals
for whom Jesus died, for I am a member of the body of Christ.
Amen.
Communion in Its Fullness (audio)
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July 22
God Has Placed Us

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all
the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so
also is Christ.For the body is not one member, but many. If the
foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the
body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And
if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of
the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the
whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now
God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just
as He desired.
(1 Corinthians 12:12, 1418 nasb)
here are three things we need to see in this statement of Paul. First,
the choice of where and what we are to be in the body is not ours,
but Gods. God has arranged the members of His body and assigned
their functions. It is not for us to decide; rather, God decides and
reveals His decisions to us.
Second, as this comes to pass in our lives, we merge our lives in a
larger entity, the bodyyet we still retain our individuality. It is like a
little finger that finds its place on a hand, side-by-side with four other
fingers, and is thus connected to the total life and purpose of a complete body. As Christians, we never lose our individual identities, but
we do become a part of a larger, corporate group, all the while being
the particular members that God ordained us to be.
Third, as a corporate body, we are able to represent Christ in His
fullness to the world. None of us can adequately represent Christ on
our own; but when we are united to a body, that body can totally, corporately, and fully represent Jesus Christ to our world.
God has placed me, with an individual identity, as part of the whole,
representing Christ in His fullness to the world. I am a member of the
body of Christ. Amen.
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Week 30:
I am holy.
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame
before Him in love.
Ephesians 1:4
July 23
What Is Holiness?
I am holy.
here is tremendous misunderstanding about holiness. Many

Christians try to achieve holiness by abstaining from things. They
think, If I do not do this or that, then I am holy. But that has nothing to
do with being holy. There are things you cannot do if you are holy, but
to suggest that holiness means cutting down on the number of things
you are involved in is not correct. Holiness is not negative. Paul wrote
in Colossians 2:20, Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic
principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject
yourselves to regulations? This is most peoples view of holiness
subjecting oneself to regulations. Paul went on to provide a list of
regulations some people follow in an attempt to achieve holiness:
Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern
things which perish with the using; according to the commandments and doctrines of men.These things indeed have an
appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility,
and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence
of the flesh.
(verses 2123)
In other words, abstaining from certain things does not make

you holy; it is not Gods holiness. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus explained
the relationship between holiness and our actions: Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father in heaven. Letting your lightshine means doing good works
so that other people are able to see God. It does not mean observing a
set of negative rules. It is a positive, powerful force. In fact, I believe
that holiness is the most powerful force at work in our universe. To
retreat into a negative lifestyle and call it holiness is self-deception.
It is not what God means by holiness at all.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I proclaim that I will let
my light shine as a positive, powerful force, for I am holy. Amen.
Update 94, March 2001 (audio)
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July 24
Called Holy Ones

I am holy.
aul described the Roman believers as beloved of God, called to be

saints (Romans 1:7). The word saints simply means holy. The
words to be were actually added by the translators. In Greek, this
literally says, called holy ones.
Remember that holiness is not some kind of extra qualification that a few believers may acquire; rather, it is something that is
expected of all believers. Paul did not conceive of some special super
class of believers who go on to a higher plane inaccessible to the rest
of us. Paul assumed that all believers were going to be holy.
When you accept the gospel invitation of faith in Jesus Christ,
God calls you a holy one. You are one who is set apart, ready to yield
to the Holy Spirit and to righteousness. You may look at yourself and
say, Well, I really dont seem to be very holy, but recall what Paul
said: that God calls those things which do not exist as though they did
(Romans 4:17). God called Abraham a father of many nations before
he had even one son. (See Genesis 17:45.)
When God calls you something, it is because He is going to make
you something. When God calls you holy, you are holy, because He has
called you holy. It may take some time to work out holiness in your
life, but that is His decree for you.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I proclaim that You are
working out Your calling in my life, for I am holy. Amen.
You Shall Receive Power (book)
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July 25
His Will for Us

I am holy.
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and
we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days
chastened us as seemed best to them, but He [God] for our profit,
that we may be partakers of His holiness. (Hebrews 12:910)
t is Gods desire that we might partake of His holiness. The author of

Hebrews continued, Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without
which no one will see the Lord (verse 14). First, we are to pursue holiness. Second, in order to achieve holiness, I believe we must pursue
peace with all people. We are to attempt to live peaceably, avoiding
quarrels or disagreements, if we are able. The writer of Hebrews also
issued a solemn warning. He said that we will not see the Lord unless
we become partakers of His holiness.
Another Scripture passage that expresses Gods desire for holiness in His people says, For this is the will of God, your sanctification
(1 Thessalonians 4:3). What exactly is sanctification? To an extent,
the English language obscures the words true meaning. An English
word ending in the suffix -ify means to make something correspond to the quality indicated by whatever precedes the -ify. For
example, purify means to make pure; clarify means to make clear;
rectify means to make right. By extension, sanctify means to make
sanct. But what is sanct? By derivation, it is the same as saint; and
saint, in turn, is the same as holy. All three wordssanctify, saint, and
holyare derived from one basic Greek word, hagios, the root word
for holy. Very simply, then, sanctification is the process of making
somethingor someoneholy.
Thus, we can accurately translate 1 Thessalonians 4:3 in this way:
For this is the will of God, that you be made holy.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I will pursue holiness, as
well as pursue peace with all people to partake of Your holiness, for I
am holy. Amen.
Partakers of His Holiness (New Wine article)
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July 26
Gods Initiative
I am holy.
n the process of sanctification, as in every redemptive process, the

initiative is with God, not with man. It begins with Gods choice of
us, made in eternity. Thereafter, the sequence of events in time is as
follows: (1) the Holy Spirit begins to influence us; (2) He draws us
aside from the broad way to destruction (see Matthew 7:13) that we
would have followed (see Matthew 7:13); (3) He brings us face-to-face
with the truth, which is Jesus Himself (see John 14:6); (4) He imparts
to us faith to believe the truth; and (5) through believing the truth,
we enter into salvation.
In Ephesians 2:8, Paul wrote that we are saved by faith. He then
reminded us that this faith does not come from ourselves; rather, it
is a gift from the Holy Spirit. In this sense, we could define sanctify
as to set apart to God. In many cases, the process of sanctification
begins long before we come to know God personally. Both the apostle Paul and the prophet Jeremiah were sanctified in their mothers
wombs. (See Galatians 1:15; Jeremiah 1:5.) God begins to set us apart
to Himself long before we have any knowledge of it.
[We are] elect [chosen] according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:2)
Gods choice, made in eternity, is based on His foreknowledgeit

is never arbitrary, never random. The Holy Spirit draws us aside to a
place of confrontation with the claims of Christ, then gives us grace
to obey the gospel. When we obey, the blood of Jesus is sprinkled
upon us. In this passage from 1 Peter, we see that the initiative in
the process of sanctification is with God, not man, and that the first
agent acting in the process is the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I proclaim that it is Gods
initiative, His choice, made in eternityand that it was not arbitrary.
I am holy. Amen.
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July 27
Washed by His Word

I am holy.
n the Old Testament, after the blood of an animal sacrifice had been
shed, the sacrifice had to be washed in pure water. First John 5:6
says that Jesus came by water and blood (1 John 5:6). The blood is
the redeeming blood of Christ, shed on the cross, and the water is
the pure water of the Word. Christ redeems us by His blood, then
sanctifies and cleanses us by the washing of water by the Word. (See
Ephesians 5:2526.)
Praying to the Father for His disciples, Jesus said, Sanctify them
by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17). One primary way in
which the Word of God sanctifies us is by changing how we think.
Sanctification proceeds from the inside out, not from the outside in.
Again, the religious way to sanctification is to lengthen the dress,
cut the hair, wipe off the lipstick, and so forth. Yet in Romans 12:2,
Paul said, Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In Ephesians 4:23, he said, Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. The Holy
Spirit renews our minds through the truthGods Word.
In English, we have the term brainwash, which usually has a negative connotation. The word would be appropriate, however, to describe
in a positive light the way in which the Holy Spirit renews our minds,
washing them clean with the pure water of Gods Word. This must
happen by our faith, an indispensable element in our sanctification.
Gods Spirit and Gods Word never vary; our faith enables us to receive
what God offers through these agents. Furthermore, there is a direct
connection between the Word of God and our faith, for faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). The more we
give heed to Gods Word, the more our faith expands, enabling us to
appropriate the total provision God has made for our holiness.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I proclaim that I am being
washed and renewed by the pure water of Gods Word. I appropriate
the total provision God has made, for I am holy. Amen.
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July 28
Set Apart by the Blood

I am holy.
esus shed His blood to redeem us, to sanctify us, or set us apart to
God, and to make us holy. It is possible to live in a place where sin
and Satan cannot touch us, a place where we are protected and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.
In 1 John 1:7, we read, But if we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin. The present tense in this passage indicates a continual action. If we walk continually in the light, we have
continual fellowship, and the blood of Jesus keeps us continually
clean. We are kept pure and undefiled; we do not live in the vile contamination of this evil world. We are separated unto God, sanctified,
and set apart by the blood of Jesus.
The practical key is the place of sanctificationthe altar. In the
Old Testament, until the sacrifice was placed on the altar, it was just
the dead body of a beast. But when the sacrifice was placed on the
altar and bound to it, the sacrifice became holy, set apart to God. This
is just as true for the New Testament believer. Paul said, I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1). The only difference between sacrifices in the Old
and New Testaments is that our bodies remain aliveliving sacrificeswhen we place them on the altar. The principle of sanctification remains the same. It is the altar that sanctifies the gift placed
upon it. The inward change in our thoughts and motives cannot be
achieved until we have renounced all rights over our own bodies and
placed them, without reservation, upon Gods altar, to be used as God
desires.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I proclaim that I am
protected and set apart, sanctified, by the blood of Jesus. I present
my body as a living sacrifice, for I am holy. Amen.
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July 29
Obeying God under Grace

I am holy.
hat is the difference between obeying God under the law and
obeying God under grace? The ultimate purpose of both is obedience to God, but this obedience is accomplished in different ways.
To illustrate this point, lets look at a simple commandment given in
both the Old Testament, under the law of Moses, and the New Testament, in one of the epistles. The exact words are used, and they apply
whether we are under the law or under grace.
In the Old Testament, God was speaking through Moses to Israel,
and He said, For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of
Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy (Leviticus
11:45). In context, being holy means that you have to keep a set
of extremely complicated rules, which are delineated in great detail
throughout the remainder of the book of Leviticus. In this case, holiness is attained by the methods of legalism: Do this. Dont do that.
The New Testament passage is addressed to Christians who have
accepted Jesus redemption on their behalf: As obedient children, not
conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He
who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is
written, Be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:1416). The quotation is taken
from Leviticus, so does that mean Peter was telling us that we must
observe all the Old Testament rules about animal sacrifices and mildews and bodily fluids? Obviously not. So, he must expect something
different. The holiness of the law says, I have to keep all these rules.
The alternative response of faith is, I dont follow a set of rules. I let
Jesus be holy, in me and through me.
Thank You, Lord, that You have called me. I proclaim that holiness
doesnt come by obeying all the rules but by Jesus redemption on my
behalf. Jesus in me is my holiness, and I am holy. Amen.
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Week 31:
I have been adopted as a child of God.
His will.
Ephesians 1:5
July 30
His Sons and His Daughters

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to
be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be
adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his
pleasure and willto the praise of his glorious grace, which he
has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:36 niv)
aul here explained what was Gods eternal purpose even before
creation: that we might become His childrenHis sons and His
daughters. The only way that this could be achieved was through the
substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross. When Jesus bore our sin
and suffered our rejection, He opened the way for our acceptance. For
that period alone, He lost His status as Gods Son so that we might
gain that same statusas Gods sons and daughters.
I love the sixth verse, To the praise of his glorious grace, which he
has freely given us in the One he loves. The word that is translated freely
given us is a very powerful word. It is the same word used by the angel
in saluting the Virgin Mary, You who are highly favored (Luke 1:28
niv). It means that we have become the objects of Gods special favor.
The New King James Version says that God has made us accepted in the
Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).
You must realize that Jesus bore your sin and rejection so that
you might have His acceptance as one of His children.
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that Jesus
bore my rejection that I might have His acceptance. I have been
adopted as a child of God. Amen.
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July 31
Gods Irresistible Love

For he [God] chose us in him [Christ] before the creation of the

world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined
us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.

here are two possible ways of punctuating the above verse: to be

holy and blameless in his sight in love or to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love. Whichever period placement you use, the
fact remains that Gods love precedes time. Before the creation of the
world, God loved us, chose us, and predestined us. He arranged the
course of His life so that we would encounter Him and experience His
love.
There is a very simple statement in the Song of Solomon that
says, Love is as strong as death (8:6). Death is inevitable. When death
comes, nobody can turn it away. Nobody can say, Im not ready. I
wont accept you. No man has the power to resist death.
But the New Testament takes us one step further. When Jesus
died and rose again from the dead, He proved that love is stronger
than death. The most irresistible, negative force in the universe was
conquered by the most irresistible, positive force in the universe
the love of God. Love always achieves its objectives; it is invincible.
It accepts no barriers. It will get past every obstacle in order to get to
where it wants to go.
Gods love is individual and everlasting. It precedes time; it is
irresistible. Then, picture yourself as the pearl in the hand of Jesus.
Say to yourself, His love for me is individual and everlasting. It precedes time. It is irresistible. Then, remember what it cost Himall
He had. Stop to tell Him, Thank You.
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that before
the creation of the world, God loved me, chose me, and predestined
me by His irresistible love. I have been adopted as a child of God.
Amen.
Extravagant Love (booklet)
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August 1
The Weapon of the Word

he temptations Satan brings against us follow a similar pattern.

First, he tempts us to doubt what God has saidthat our sins have
been forgiven, that God really loves us, that we have been accepted
into Gods family as His children, that we have been released from
the curse, and that we have entered into the blessing. But the final
thrust of Satans tactics is to tempt us to direct disobedience.
Jesus used only one weapon to defeat Satan: the rhema, or the
spoken Word of God. He countered each temptation with the same
phrase: It is written. (See, for example, Matthew 4:4, 7, 10.) Each
was a direct quotation from the Old Testament. Satan has no defense
against the Word of God thus quoted directly at him. He has no choice
but to withdraw in defeat.
In all of this, Jesus is our perfect example. He did not rely on any
wisdom or arguments of His own; rather, He used precisely the same
weapon God has given to us: the Word of God. Our security depends
on following the example of Jesus. Satan is a thousand times wiser
and stronger than we are. He can point to a thousand flaws in our
own righteousness. But there is one weapon against which he has no
defense: the Word of God, spoken in faith.
Such, then, is the path that leads us out of the territory overshadowed by curses and into the territory that enjoys the sunlight of
Gods blessings. Its first requirement is unswerving faith, based on
the exchange that took place on the cross. Faith of this kind reckons
Gods promises as effective from the moment they are apprehended.
By prompt, unquestioning obedience and patient endurance, we move
from our legal rights in Christ into the full, experiential enjoyment of
them. We meet all satanic opposition with the sword of the Spirit: the
spoken Word of God. (See Ephesians 6:17.)
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that I will
meet all satanic temptations and opposition with the Word of God. I
proclaim that I have been adopted as a child of God. Amen.
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August 2
Children and Coheirs

n Romans 8:1517, Paul was writing to Christians about what was

available to them through their faith in Christ.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him [the Holy Spirit]
we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
that we are Gods children. Now if we are children, then we are
heirsheirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in
his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (niv)
The word Abba is the Aramaic or Hebrew equivalent of the English word Daddy. Thus, we see here a relationship of intimacy with
God the Father, whom we address as Daddy. The Spirit of God Himself
gives us the assurance and confidence to do so.
The Bible tells us that we are Gods children, but the Spirit of God
reinforces that truth personally to each of us, in our hearts. We are
Gods children. And when we become children, we become heirs. We
are made heirs of God and coheirs with Christ. Of course, one condition is stated: if we are willing to share His sufferings. If we share in
the inheritance, we also share in the sufferings. Remember, the pearl
is a product of pressure and stress.
It is important to understand what it means to be coheirs. It does
not mean that we each get a little fraction of the total inheritance.
Rather, it means that Jesus, as the first Son of God, has the whole
inheritance, and we share the whole inheritance with Him. Each one
of us has a right to the entire inheritance, which is the inheritance
of Jesus. The law of Gods kingdom is sharing. We do not each grab
our own portions, but we all share together everything that God the
Father has and everything that Christ the Son has.
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that I am a

child of God and a coheir with Christ. I have been adopted as a child
of God. Amen.
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August 3
A Fathers Love
ods family is the best family. Again, even if your own family
did not care for you, bear in mind that God wants you. You are
accepted; you are highly favored; you are the object of His special care
and affection. Everything He does revolves around you.
Paul said to the Corinthians, who were not exactly top-notch
Christians, All this is for your benefit (2 Corinthians 4:15 niv). Everything God does, He does for us. You do not get conceited when you
realize this fact. Instead, you become humble. There is no room left
for arrogance when you see the grace of God. It is significant that,
before His crucifixion, Jesus last prayer with His disciples was for
those who were His followers, as well as for those who would follow
afterward. (See John 17:20.) That prayer concerned our relationship
with God as our Father, and it concluded, Righteous Father, though the
world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent
me. I have made you known to them (John 17:2526 niv).
Jesus make God known to us as Father. The Jews had known God as
Yahweh for fourteen centuries, but the only Person who could introduce
Him as Father was His Son. Six times in this prayer for His disciples,
Jesus addressed God as Father (see verses 1, 5, 11, 21, 24, 25).
When Jesus prayed, And [I] will continue to make you known
(verse 26), He was saying that He would continue to reveal God as
Father. Then, we come to the purpose of this revelation: In order that
the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them
(John 17:26 niv). God has exactly the same love for us as He has for
Jesus. We are as dear to God as Jesus Himself is. However, there is
another aspect to this. Because Jesus is in us, we can love God in the
same way that Jesus loves Him.
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that God,
my Father, has exactly the same love for me as He has for Jesus, and
I love God the same way Jesus loves Him. I have been adopted as a
child of God. Amen.
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August 4
The Place of Maturity

t is not Gods purpose for us to remain permanently as children. God

has a plan for us to grow up into mature sons. But this is where we
are again dependent on the Holy Spirit. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we
cannot grow up, we cannot mature. As Paul said in Romans 8:14, For
all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (nasb).
The word for sons, in this verse, is not the same as the word for
children in the other passages. This means a mature sonone who
is responsible, who is in control of his life, who knows how to act, and
who has authority.
How do we come to that place of maturity? Paul said, All who are
being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. That is the second
great ministry of the Spirit in our lives as members of Gods family:
to mature us. But this comes by one process alone: being led by the
Spirit of God. There is no other way to reach maturity. And being led
is a continual action. We have to be led continuallyevery day, every
hour, in every situationby the Spirit of God. That is the only way
that we can live as mature sons of God.
The tragedy in the church today is that countless numbers of people who have been born again of the Spirit of God have never learned
to be led by the Spirit of God. Consequently, they never achieve maturity. They always remain, in some sense, spiritually childish. This
result is not because the provision for the maturation process is not
there, but it is because they have not understood how to avail themselves of that provision. The provision is to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that I will
move into maturity through the process of being led by the Spirit of
God. I have been adopted as a child of God. Amen.
How to Be Led by the Holy Spirit, Part 1 (audio)
August
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August 5
Relationship with Our Father

n the last two verses of John 17, we find the final utterance of Jesus
to His disciples before He suffered and died on the cross. I believe
that these two verses are the climax of the entire purpose of the gospel. Here is part of the prayer that Jesus prayed.
O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have
known You; and these [disciples] have known that You sent Me.
And I have declared to them Your name.
(John 17:2526)
The name Jesus came to reveal was Father. You find very few uses
of the word Father as a title of God in the Old Testament. The only
person who could fully reveal the Father was the Son. Then, Jesus
said,
I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the
love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

(verse 26)
The ultimate purpose of the gospel is this love relationship with
God by which God loves us in exactly the same way that He loved
and still lovesJesus, and that we love God in exactly the same way
that Jesus loves Him. That is the purposeto bring us into the family
of God, to bring us into a relationship with God as Father that is the
same relationship that Jesus has. It enables us to love God with the
same love with which Jesus loves Him. You cannot ask for more. It is
unimaginable. It is past our human minds to conceive what it entails.
But it is the goal, the ultimate purpose. Everything else is secondary.
Thank You, Lord, that You chose me in love. I proclaim that my

ultimate goal and purpose is to come into a love relationship with
God as my Father, for I have been adopted as a child of God.
Amen.
Guilt, Shame, Rejection (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 32:
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit.
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to
the Father.
Ephesians 2:18
August 6
Our Dependence upon the Holy Spirit

n our fleshly nature, all of us have certain weaknesses. These weaknesses are not of the body but of the mindof our understanding.
They manifest themselves in two related ways. First, we often do not
know what we should pray for. Second, even when we do know what to
pray for, we do not know how to pray for it. We are therefore silenced
by total dependence on the Holy Spirit. He alone can show us both the
what and the how of prayer. (See Romans 8:2627.)
In the book of Ephesians, Paul emphasized our dependence
upon the Holy Spirit to give us prayers that are acceptable to God.
He stressed that it is only Jesus and the Holy Spirit who can give us
access to God:
For through Him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jews and Gentiles]
have access by one Spirit [the Holy Spirit] to the Father.

(Ephesians 2:18)
Two conditions for acceptable prayers are here combined: through

Jesus and by the Holy Spirit. Each is essential. There is no natural force
that can carry our puny human voices from earth to the very ears of
God on His throne in heaven. Only the supernatural power of the
Holy Spirit can do that. Without Him, we have no access to God.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim my total

dependence upon the Holy Spirit, who can give me access through
Jesus to the Father. I have access to God through the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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August 7
The Way to the Father

here is no other way to God the Father but through Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. We have access to God through Jesus alone and
by only one Spirit. There is only one Spirit who gives humans access to
God the Fatherthe Holy Spirit. He operates only through the Lord
Jesus Christ. If you come by any door other than Jesus, or if you come
through any other spirit, you do not have access to God; you have
access to the realm of Satan. Instead of going into the realm of light,
you will go into the realm of darkness.
Remember, Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, and
his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness.
(See 2 Corinthians 11:1415.) They often use beautiful, sweet, loving
words and long, eloquent phraseseven quoting Scripturein order
to get you into the realm of darkness. They do this under the guise of
being angels of light. If you do not come by Jesus Christ crucified on
the cross, and if you do not come by the Holy Spirit of God, you can
get into the occult, supernatural realm. I have been there, and I know
what it is like. Before I found Jesus, I was a practicing Yogi. There was
a time when I got out of the natural, but what I got into scared me,
even then. I didnt like it. I decided that once was enough.
Some years later, when I was confronted with the gospel and the
power of the Holy Spirit, the great barrier between me and Christ
was Yoga. I could not break through that mental barrier. God had to
perform a miracle of deliverance. I didnt know about demons, but I
wanted to come to Jesus. I could not reach Him until that Yoga demon
had lost its power over my mind. You can theorize, but I know what
it is like. It is one of a thousand different ways of being deceived into
the territory of Satan and becoming enslaved.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim that I will come
to the Father through Jesus Christ crucified on the cross and by the
Holy Spirit of God. I have access to God through the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Demons and Demonology: Cult and OccultSatans Snares Disclosed (audio)
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August 8
The Door and the Shepherd

esus said, I am the door (John 10:9). Two verses later, He said, I
am the good shepherd (verse 11). Have you ever stopped to consider
how Jesus can be both the door and the shepherd? Its so simple, and
yet so profound. Jesus crucified is the door. Jesus resurrected is the
shepherd. But if you want the resurrected Christ as your shepherd,
you have to come by the crucified Christ, who is the door. Only those
who come by the crucified Christ have the resurrected Christ as their
shepherd.
have access by one Spirit to the Father.
(Ephesians 2:18)
There are one wayJesusand one Spiritthe Holy Spirit

that lead us to the Father. If you do not come by Jesus, you do not
have the Holy Spirit to lead you to the Father. The Holy Spirit will
not honor any other approach to God than through Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified.
When you come through Jesus, the door, you have the supernatural testimony of the Holy Spirit. All true, God-centered religion
always receives the supernatural testimony of divine approval. If
it is lacking, we had better ask why, because God has promised to
honor the truth with supernatural attestation, and He always has, all
through the history of Scripture.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim that there is one
wayJesusand there is one Spiritthe Holy Spiritthat lead us
to the Father. I have access to God through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Bible Psychology, Vol. 2: Achieving Inner Harmony: Relationship Between Believers Spirit
and Soul (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
August 9
We Are Family
n the New Testament, Gods people are very seldom referred to by

the title Christians, or even believers. The most common title used
is brothers, emphasizing membership in one spiritual family. As Paul
wrote in Ephesians 2:18, For through Him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jews
and Gentiles] have access by one Spirit to the Father. Notice that all
three persons of the Godhead are represented here. Through Jesus
the Son, we have access to the Father by one Spirit.
The next verse reveals the wondrous result: Now, therefore
[because we have access to the Father], you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household
of God (verse 19). The word household would be best represented in
contemporary English by the word family. Because Christ has gained
us access to the Father, we have become members of Gods family.
The composition of Gods family is determined by its members
relationships with the Father. In New Testament Greek, there is a
very close similarity between the words father and family. The word
for father is pater; the word for family is patria, which is derived
from pater. This relationship is brought out clearly in Pauls prayer:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is
named.
(Ephesians 3:1415)
There is a direct play here on the words Father and family.
From God the Father (pater), the whole family (patria) in heaven and
earth is named. Family comes from fatherhood. Having God as our
Father makes us members of His family.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim that I have
become a member of Gods family. I have access to God through the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rediscovering Gods Church (book)
August
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August 10
Bringing Us to the Father

esus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We often
quote that Scripture; it is a favorite evangelistic text. However,
we rarely stop to consider its full implication. A way is meaningless
unless it takes us somewhere. A way is not an end in itself. So, when
Jesus said, I am the way, He was implying that He had come to take
us somewhere.
Where is He taking us? He explained, No one comes to the Father
except through Me (verse 6). In other words, He was saying, I am the
way to the Father. I am the revelation of the Father. If you have seen
Me, you have seen the Father. (See verses 79.)
And He [Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were afar
off [the Gentiles] and to those who were near [the Jews]. For
through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one
Spirit to the Father.
(Ephesians 2:1718)
Again, all three persons of the Godhead are included in that one
verse: through the Son, by the Spirit, to the Father. But the Father is
the destination. The verse is meaningless if you leave out the Father.
The ultimate objective is to reveal the Father and to bring us to Him.
If we stop short of the fulfillment of that objective, we have missed
the purpose for which Jesus came.
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in
order that He might bring us to God.
(1 Peter 3:18 nasb)
Why did Jesus die? That our sins might be forgiven, yes. But that
was only one stage in the process. The ultimate purpose was that He
might bring us to God.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim that Jesus died
for the ultimate purpose of bringing us to God. I have access to God
through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Knowing God as Father: The Fatherhood of God (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
August 11
One Way for Liberty

t is a vital fact that the Holy Spirit is a person. Not only is He a

person, but He is Lord, just as much as God the Father is Lord and
God the Son is Lord. He is coequal with the other two members of the
Godhead. This means that we must have the same attitude of reverence toward the Holy Spirit that we have toward the Father and the
Son.
In 2 Corinthians 3:17, Paul made this simple statement: Now the
Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
In this passage, we see the contrast between bondage to the law,
or a legal system, and liberty. There is only one way to have liberty.
Where the Holy Spirit is, there is liberty.
Many Christians have the strangest ideas about liberty. They say,
If we arent dancing on the platform by 6:45 p.m. on Sunday evening,
we are not having liberty. Or, If we dont all clap our hands, we dont
have liberty. Some preachers think that if they dont stomp on the
platform and shout, they dont have liberty.
Liberty is not following a certain program in church. It is not
going through certain motions, such as lifting up your hands. That
can be liberty, but it can just as easily be bondage. It depends on
whether the Holy Spirit is prompting it, or if you are doing it out of
a religious tradition. Religious tradition produces bondage; the Holy
Spirit produces liberty.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim that where the
Holy Spirit is, there is liberty. I have access to God through the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Make Your Calling Sure: Continually Led by the Spirit (audio)
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August 12
Access by the Spirit

e have no more access to God than we have by the Holy Spirit

because there is a principle in the Godhead. The One who is
sent as the representative must be honored if one is to have access to
the Godhead. So, when the Father sent the Son, He said, From now
on, no one comes to Me except through the Son. You cannot bypass
My representative and come to Me because, in every situation and
circumstance, I uphold the One whom I have sent.
When Jesus had finished His task on earth and had returned
to the Father, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit. The same
principle applies again. We have no access to the Father and the Son
except by the Spirit. We cannot bypass the Spirit and come to the
Father or to the Son.
have access by one Spirit to the Father.
(Ephesians 2:18)
We cannot leave out the Holy Spirit and still have access. Many
Christians focus on the fact that we have access to God through His
Son, Jesus. That is perfectly true, but it is not the whole truth. It is
through the Son, by the Spirit, to the Father. Likewise, the Father
indwells us when we are in the Son, through His Spirit. In each direction, whether we are going to God or whether God is coming to us, the
Spirit is an essential part of the equation. We have access in the Son
through the Spirit to the Father. The Father indwells us when we are
in the Son through the Spirit.
If we leave the Holy Spirit out of that equation, we have no access
to God, and God has no access to us. We are totally dependent on the
Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come to You. I proclaim that I am totally
dependent on the Holy Spirit for access to the Son and to the Father.
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Make Your Calling Sure: Continually Led by the Spirit (audio)
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Week 33:
I have been made perfect in Christ.
You are complete in Him, who is the head of all
principality and power.
Colossians 2:10
August 13
The Meaning of Perfect

he word perfect frightens some people. They have the impression

that being perfect means that you never do anything wrong, you
never say anything wrong, you never make any mistakes. These people say, If that is the objective, I give up now, because it is unattainable. But the word perfect is found in Scripture, and we cannot get
away from it. Sooner or later, we have to face it.
Perfect has three main meanings in Scripture. The first is
mature, or fully grown up. We all see that as a reasonable objectiveone that gives us nothing to fear. Another related meaning is
complete, having nothing deficient or defective. Keep in mind that
these two meanings do not necessarily go together. A person may be
fully grown up and still have defects in some areas of his body. He may
even be missing part of his body, such as a limb, a digit, or an organ.
In this case, he is mature yet incomplete. Another person might have
all of his members intact and functioning, but he might not be fully
grown up or mature. We have to combine the ideas of maturity and
completeness in this picture of perfection.
In Ephesians 4, in the phrase the perfecting of the saints (verse
12 kjv), the Greek verb for perfect means to articulate, or to fit
together. A related word is used in Hebrews 11:3, where it says that
by the Word of God, the worlds were framed, or fitted together. So,
the word perfect also has to do with putting something together in
such a way that every part works harmoniously with the others and
fulfills its proper function. We have three distinct ideasmaturity,
completeness, and proper integrationfit together in such a way that
the whole functions harmoniously. That is the objective that Scripture sets before us as believers.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that God is
perfecting meHe is maturing me, completing me, and fitting me
into the place He has for me. I have been made perfect in Christ.
Amen.
Perfecting the Saints (audio)
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August 14
Doing the Will of God

hy are we here on earth? It is not to do our own will, but rather

to do the will of Christ, who commissioned us. Paul wrote in
Colossians 1:9, For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not
cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We are to be filled
with the knowledge of Gods will. In other words, the knowledge of
Christs will is to take over the whole of our minds. It is to completely
control our thinking. Every motive and every intention is to be controlled by the knowledge of the will of Christ.
Paul continued in Colossians 4:12, Epaphras, who is one of you,
a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in
prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
The believer becomes perfect and complete only insofar as he fulfills the whole will of God. Hebrews 13 states this truth beautifully:
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do
his will.
(Hebrews 13:2021 kjv)
We are made perfect and complete, we come to fulfillment, only
insofar as we do the will of God, just as Jesus found fulfillment during His earthly life only in doing the will of God.
If there is disharmony, frustration, or emotional tumult in your
life, consider checking your relationship to the will of God, for you
can be made perfect only insofar as you know and do the will of God.
Anything else will bring only incompleteness and frustration.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim my hope to stand
perfect and complete in all the will of God, finding fulfillment only in
doing His will. I have been made perfect in Christ. Amen.
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August 15
Accessing Gods Total Provision

n order to stand perfect and complete in the fullness of Gods will,

a Christian must avail himself of all that God has provided for him
through Christ. He cannot omit any part of Gods total provision and
expect that some other part will serve as a substitute for that which
has been omitted.
Yet, it is at this point precisely that so many Christians go astray
in their thinking. Consciously or unconsciously, they reason that
because they know they have availed themselves of some part, or
parts, of Gods provision for them, they do not need to concern themselves about other parts that they have omitted.
For instance, some Christians put a significant emphasis upon
witnessing by word of mouth but are negligent about the practical
aspects of daily Christian living. Conversely, other Christians are
careful about their conduct but fail to witness openly to their friends
and neighbors. Each of these types of Christians tends to criticize or
despise the other, yet both are equally at fault. Good Christian living
is no substitute for witnessing by word of mouth. On the other hand,
witnessing by word of mouth is no substitute for good Christian living. God requires both. The believer who omits one or the other does
not stand perfect and complete in the will of God.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim my desire to avail
myself of all that God has provided for me through Christ, so that I
may stand perfect and complete in the will of God, for I have been
made perfect in Christ. Amen.
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August 16
Complete in Christ
was once a professional philosopher. As such, I looked here, there,

and everywhere for the answer to lifes problems. I looked in Christianity, as it was then presented to me, and concluded that Christianity
did not have the answer. I was perfectly rightit didnt. I turned to
Greek philosophy, I turned to Yoga, I turned to all sorts of ridiculous
things. Then, in l941, in an army barrack room one evening around
midnight, when no one else was awake, I had a personal encounter
with the Lord Jesus Christ. And in that encounter, I discovered that I
had met the answer.
Sometime later, I read something Paul wrote concerning Jesus
Christ: In [Him] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
(Colossians 2:3 kjv). I said to myself, Why should I grub around any
longer in the rubbish bins of human wisdom when all the treasures are hidden in Jesus Christ? And I made a decision that the Bible is the book
with the answers, and I resolved to find in it what God has hidden in
Jesus Christ.
Sometimes I have strayed; sometimes I have become deflected
and diverted. But Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and
the End, the First and the Last (Revelation 22:13) and the author and
finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We are complete in Him. If you
ever start to look outside Christ, you will find all sorts of interesting
theories and stimulating presentations, but you will be feeding on the
husks when you could be living on the Fathers bread.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that Jesus is the
answerthe Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first
and the last, the author and finisher of faith. I am complete in Him,
for I have been made perfect in Christ. Amen.
Strength through Knowing God: The Source of Strength (audio)
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August 17
The Fullness of Christ: God Himself

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic
principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all
the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been
given fullness in Christ.
hat is my aimto enter into the fullness that has been given to
us in Jesus Christ, who is to be our ultimate goal and satisfaction.
We can illustrate this with a parallel to the tabernacle of Moses, as
described in the Old Testament. Its structure was in three sections:
first, the Outer Court; then, inside the first curtain, the Holy Place;
and inside the second curtain, the Holy of Holies. Again, one simple
way to distinguish between these is by the light available in each section.
In the Outer Court, the light is natural, provided by the sun,
moon, and stars. In the Holy Place, there is no natural light. The light
is provided by the seven-branched candlestick, where oil is ignited
in the bowls to provide light. Once inside the Holy Place, you are no
longer living by your senses, but by faith. Remarkably, beyond the
second curtain, there was no light at all. There was only one reason
to enter: to meet with God. When a man with a true heart went in
beyond that second veil, it became gloriously illuminated with the
supernatural presence of God, called the shekinah. That is the ultimate goal. There is nothing to entice us beyond that second veil except
God. He provides no alternative attractionsit is God or nothing. If
God does not come, you are left in total darkness. Living with God as
our goal means pursuing no alternative attractions. It is God Himself,
God alone. The light that I seek is neither natural nor artificial; it is
supernaturalthe presence of God Himself.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that it is God
Himself and God alone whom I seekthe fullness of Christfor I
have been made perfect in Christ. Amen.
Learning by Living, Part 2 (audio)
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August 18
By One Sacrifice
For by one offering [sacrifice] He has perfected forever those who
are being sanctified.
(Hebrews 10:14)
n this verse, we have two tenses, and both are significant. The first
one is called the perfect tense: for by one offering [sacrifice] He has
perfected forever. You can say the sacrifice is perfectly perfect. It is
completely complete. Just before this phrase, the writer of Hebrews
said that the Old Testament priests always stood, offering again and
again the same sacrifices that could never take away sin. Then, the
writer said about Jesus, But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).
Notice the contrast between the Old Testament priests, who stood,
and Jesus, who offered His sacrifice and sat down. Why did Jesus sit
down? Because He had nothing left to do. He had done it all. Whereas
the job of the Old Testament priests was never finished because their
sacrifices were not adequate to deal with the real problem, Jesus
death on the cross was a complete and final act.
As far as what Jesus has done, it is complete and perfect. Nothing must be added to it, and nothing can ever be taken away from it.
Jesus sacrifice is valid forever. That is the perfect tense.
Then, speaking about those of us who are appropriating Jesus
sacrifice, the author of Hebrews wrote, He has perfected forever those
who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). Are being sanctified is in the
present progressive tense. What Jesus has done is perfect, and our
appropriation of it is continual, ongoing. As we are sanctified, as we
are set apart to God more and more, and as we draw closer to God and
appropriate more of Gods provision and promises, we are entering
more and more into the provision of the sacrifice.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that by one
sacrifice, Jesus has perfected those who are being sanctifiedand
that includes me. I have been made perfect in Christ. Amen.
Complete Salvation and How to Receive It, Part 1 (audio)
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August 19
Perfect Circles
s I have said before, the term perfect often frightens people. To

make this word less frightening, I would like to use a simple
example from mathematics.
Lets take the use of the word round. There is only one standard
for round. Something is either round or not round. If something is
round, it is a circle. There is just one kind of circle; there are not three
or four different kinds of circles. However, there are many different
sizes of circles. When two things have identical shapes but different
sizes, they are called similar.
God the Father is the great circle, the measureless round ring
that encompasses the whole universe. Jesus does not expect us to
have the same magnitude as God, but He does expect us to have the
same character as God. We are to be similar to, not the same as, God.
You and I may be very tiny circlesoperating in some small areas
where God has placed us with apparently trivial, humdrum duties.
But, for each of us in our own little area, God wants us to be a perfect
circle. Perfectly round. Just as round as that great circle, God the
Father, who encompasses the whole universe.
So, when you read Jesus command to be perfect (Matthew
5:48), think of it in terms of being round. Dont be lopsided, having
little bulges. Dont have deficiencies. You may not be very big, but you
can be a perfect circle.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that God wants me
to be a perfect circleand, by His grace, I will be, for I have been
made perfect in Christ. Amen.
Progress to Perfection, Part 1 (audio)
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Week 34:
Our old man was put to death in Christ
that the new man might come to life in us.
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the
old man with his deeds, and have put on the new
man who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who created him.
Colossians 3:910
August 20
New Man Living

he exchange that we are dealing with here is between the old man
and the new man. The old man died in Christ on the cross, so that,
by exchange, the new man might live in us now. This is a theme that
runs through the New Testament, but it is dealt with very infrequently in many sections of the church today. The contrast between
the old man, who died on the cross, and the new man, who has been
resurrected with Christ, is brought forth through the resurrection of
Jesus.
Christs crucifixion is a historical event that actually took place
at a specific moment in time. I think it tremendously strengthens our
faith when we view it in this way. It is something that actually did
happen. It is true, whether we believe it or not; it is true, whether we
know it or not. But when we know it and believe it, it has a tremendous effect on our lives. In Romans 6:6, Paul stated that our old man
was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that
we should no longer be slaves of sin. The King James Version says that
the body of sin might be destroyed, but I prefer to say rendered ineffective; put out of action.
The slavery of having sin as our master is terminated in our lives
when we realize that the old man died and that a new man now lives
in us. But if we do not realize this, believe it, and act upon it, there is
no full escape from the slavery of sin. This is the only way out of the
bondage or slavery of sin.
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim that my
slavery to sin is terminated, because my old man was put to death in
Christ that the new man might come to life in me. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict, Vol. 2: Gods Secret Plan Unfolds: The Cross Canceled Satans Claims
(audio)
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August 21
The Product of Truth

ets look a little more fully at the exchange that takes place between
the old man and the new man. The old man was the product of the
devils lie. He was the product of deception. His whole nature is deception and corruption. He is the product of the serpent. The old man is
just as crooked as the snake that brought him into being. There is
no truth in himhe is crooked to the core. The more he tries to be
straight, the more crooked he becomes.
What is the solution? The old man was crucified so that the new
man might be brought forth. Ephesians 4:22 instructs us to put off
the old man; then, in verse 24, we are exhorted to put onthe new
man. This is the exchange. The old set of clothing goes; the new set of
clothing is put on.
Ephesians 4:24 goes on to describe the new man as having true
righteousness and holiness. I would like to restate the verse in this way:
Who, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. More
literally, Who, in accordance with Gods plan [Gods standards, Gods
thinking, or Gods purpose, however you would like to understand
it], was created in righteousness and holiness of truth. The new man
is the product of the truth of Gods Word concerning Jesus Christ.
The truth, received into our hearts by faith, brings forth a new man,
which brings forth righteousness and holiness. The new man was created in accordance with Gods standards, or purpose, in righteousness and holiness, which are products of the truth.
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim that my
old man was crucified with Christ that my new man might be
brought forth. I receive this truth by faith in my heart: that my old man
was put to death in Christ that the new man might come to life in me.
Amen.
Spiritual Conflict, Vol. 2: Gods Secret Plan Unfolds: The Cross Canceled Satans Claims
(audio)
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August 22
Incorruptible Seed
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His [Gods] seed
remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of
God.
(1 John 3:9)
oes this verse tell us that a born-again believer never sins? If so, a
lot of us would be left out, myself included! Is there any one of us
who is truly born of God of whom it could be said, He cannot commit
sin? I do not believe so. What, then, is the meaning of this verse?
My understanding is that it is talking about the new nature
that has been born in us. This is a nature that cannot sinthe Jesus
nature. It is the new man. This is very important to realize because
only as we cultivate and yield to that nature do we come into a life of
victory over sin.
In 1 John 5:4, we read, For whatever is born of God overcomes the
world. Notice that John specified whatever is born of God, not whoever. He was referring to a person, but also to a nature. That is my
understanding. It is the nature of the new man. This new nature cannot sin; it is incorruptible. Do you know why it is incorruptible? Gods
seed remains in the new man. What is the seed? We find out in 1 Peter
1:23, Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
What is the nature of the seed of Gods Word? It is incorruptible.
Its exact opposite is the nature of the old man, which is corruptible
(and is indeed already corrupt).
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim that a new
creation has been born in mea nature that cannot sin, the Jesus
nature. I proclaim that my old man was put to death in Christ that the
new man might come to life in me. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
August 23
Being Renewed
esus was God veiled in flesh. When the flesh of Jesus was pierced
and torn on the cross, the veil was parted.
In this present age, Christ is revealed in the believer; He lives
in the believer but He is still veiled by the flesh. The book of Colossians gives us another aspect of this truth. In speaking about the new
manthat is, who we are in Christ, members of the new racePaul
said to the believers,
You have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the
new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of
Him who created him.
(Colossians 3:910)
I prefer to make it more literal: who is being renewed. Renewal

is a continuous process that takes place in the present. We are going
through a process in order to be renewed.
Then, it says, literally, into the acknowledgment of the Creator.
It is not just knowing Jesus intellectually, but also acknowledging
Him in every area of our lives, that brings His image into us.
The end purpose of the process of renewal is for us to reproduce
His image. I believe this is a perfectly justifiable paraphrase. Lets
repeat it: Being renewed into the acknowledgment of the Creator
so as to reproduce His image. In other words, the end purpose is to
restore the image that was marred by the fall. Of course, the consummation of this purpose will come at the resurrection, when even the
physical body of the believer will be transformed into the likeness of
Christs resurrection body.
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim that I am
being renewed into the image of Him who created me. I proclaim that
my old man was put to death in Christ that the new man might come
to life in me. Amen.
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August 24
Spiritual Nourishment
e have said that the new birth, through Gods Word, produces
within the spirit a completely new naturea new kind of life.
This leads us to consider the next major effect that Gods Word produces.
In every realm of life, there is one unchanging law: as soon as a
new life is born, the first and greatest need of that new life is nourishment to sustain it. For example, when a human baby is born, that
baby may be sound and healthy in every respect, but unless he quickly
receives nourishment, he will languish and die.
The same law is true in the spiritual realm. When a person is
born again, the new spiritual nature produced within that person
immediately requires spiritual nourishment, both to maintain life
and to promote growth. The spiritual nourishment God has provided
for all His born-again children is found in His own Word. Gods Word
is so rich and varied that it contains nourishment adapted to every
stage of spiritual development. Gods provision for the first stages
of spiritual growth is described in the first epistle of Peter. Immediately after Peter wrote in chapter 1 about being born again of the
incorruptible seed of Gods Word, he went on to say, Therefore, laying
aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby (1
Peter 2:12). For newborn spiritual babes in Christ, Gods appointed
nourishment is the pure milk of His own Word. This milk is a necessary fuel for continued life and growth.
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim my

commitment to Gods Word as my source of spiritual nourishment for
continued life and growth, and I proclaim that my old man was put to
death in Christ that the new man might come to life in me. Amen.
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August 25
Putting on the New

eligion always tries to change man from the outside in: make the
skirts longer, make the dresses looser, add something to the border, put something on your head, take off the makeup, lengthen the
sleeves, cut the hair, or whatever it is. God always operates in the
opposite way. He changes man from the inside out. God begins with
what we think. He says, If there is going to be any effective change,
you have to think in another way. Another Spirit has to have access
to your mind. You have been under the deception of Satan; now, you
must open up to the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. As a result of
doing that, we are able to put on the new manthe opposite of the
old man.
Ephesians 4:24 says, Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. This new man was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness. He was
created according to Gods plan; he is the product of Gods purpose,
Gods standard, Gods pattern. The old man is the product of Satans
deception; the new man is the product of Gods truth.
It is significant that Satan came to the human race in the form of
a serpent. By its very nature, a snake is a crooked animal, and I think
that is a vivid picture of the devilhe is a very crooked being. He
never comes out with full truth. The distinctive word that describes
the old man is corrupt.
We have to put off the old man and put on the new. The distinctive words that describe the new man are righteous and holy.
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim that I am
putting off the old man and putting on the new man, for my old
man was put to death in Christ that the new man might come to life in
me. Amen.
Release from the Tyranny of Self (audio)
August
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August 26
Corresponding Fruit
ames spoke about the inconsistencies of religious people:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we
curse men, who have been made in Gods likeness. Out of the
same mouth come praise [or blessing] and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow
from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives,
or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh
water.
(James 3:912 niv)
James combined two pictures there. One is of a tree. He said that

a fig tree will never bear another kind of fruit, such as olives. The
kind of tree indicates the kind of fruit that it will bear. The tree, in
that picture, is the heart; the fruit is the words that come out of the
mouth. The second picture James used is that of a spring of water. He
said that if brackish, salty water comes out of a spring, you know the
water in the spring is salty.
The two trees represent two natures. A tree that produces fruit
different from what it should produce is corrupt; that tree represents
the old man. A good tree is the new man in Jesus Christ. The old man
cannot bring forth good fruit. Jesus said that clearly many times.
(See, for instance, John 15:18.) Out of that old, carnal nature will
always come fruit that corresponds to that nature.
The fountain, or spring, represents something spiritual. A pure
spring is the Holy Spirit. A corrupt, salty, impure spring is another
spirit.
Thank You, Jesus, for the exchange at the cross. I proclaim that out of
my new nature will come good fruit, for my old man was put to death
in Christ that the new man might come to life in me. Amen.
Derek Prince on Experiencing Gods Power (book)
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Week 35:
In love, my Father has predestined me
to be adopted as His son or daughter.
His will.
Ephesians 1:5
August 27
Favored and Accepted

He [God] chose us, having predestined us to adoption as sons
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His
will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us
accepted in the Beloved.
(Ephesians 1:46)
ho is the Beloved? Jesus. Notice the order there. We are chosen, predestined, adopted, and accepted. Say these steps aloud:
I am chosen, predestined, adopted, accepted. I am aware that some
of the modern translations do not use the word accepted. The Greek
phrase translated as He made us accepted means, God has bestowed
His favor upon us totally. Again, when the angel Gabriel saluted the
Virgin Mary, he said, Rejoice, highly favored one (Luke 1:28). Favored
is the same Greek word as in Ephesians, and accepted is a good way
to translate it. We are not merely tolerated by God. We are not just
standing on the sidelines. Rather, we are the objects of His highest
favor. Can you believe that? It is incredible.
In my opinion, feelings of insecurity are linked directly to the
problem of rejection. The solution is to become part of Gods family.
God has not changed. God is love. God loves every one of His children. There are no second-class children of God. If you are a child of
God, you do not have to tiptoe down the corridor and knock at His
door, hoping that He will deign to let you in. He is waiting for you
with open arms.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that I am chosen,

predestined, adopted, accepted. God has bestowed His favor upon
me completely. In love, my Father has predestined me to be adopted
as His son or daughter. Amen.
Total Security (audio)
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August 28
The Antidote to Loneliness

hen I ask myself how many lonely Christians are in the world
today, the probable answer overwhelms me. I believe there
should be no such thing as a lonely Christian. One of the greatest
single changes we need to make is rethinking our picture of what it
means to be a Christian. It means to be a member of Gods family.
Not just in some nice theological phrase, but in the membership of a
real family.
To be lonely is a very unhappy condition. Yet, in todays world,
there are millions and millions of lonely people. Even though the
population of the earth is increasing rapidly, and even though many
people live in large cities, these large cities and this highly populated
earth of ours are filled with lonely people.
It is possible to be lonely even in the midst of a crowd. It is possible to be lonely in a big city. In fact, that is the worst form of lonelinessto be surrounded by people, and, at the same time, to feel cut
off from them by an invisible barrier that you have no idea how to
break through.
Loneliness is not Gods plan for the life of any individual. From
eternity, God is a Father. The source of all fatherhoodof every family, in heaven and on earthis God. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:15,
From [God] the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Right at the
beginning of human history, God provided a mate for the first man
because He decided, It is not good that man should be alone (Genesis
2:18). That is Gods attitude. He wants to take us out of our loneliness
and to set us in the family of God. He wants to give us brothers and
sisters with whom to share His love.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that loneliness

is not Gods plan for my life. He has set me in the family of God.
In love, my Father has predestined me to be adopted as His son or
daughter. Amen.
Update 94, March 2001 (audio)
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August 29
Family: A Shared Life Source

e are all members of Gods family because we all have one

Father. Jesus is our elder brother, and we are all members of
the same family.
Let me relate a little incident that comes to mind when I think
about the family of God. It happened in the days when some of the
Scottish Christians up in the Highlands were being severely persecuted by the English army. On her way to a secret meeting of believers, a Scottish lass was arrested by an English policeman, who asked
her where she was going. She did not want to lie, but she also did not
want to betray her fellow believers, so she lifted her heart to the Lord
in prayer and asked Him for an answer. This is how she responded
to the policeman: My elder brother died, and I am on my way to my
fathers house to hear the will read.
That was a good answer. Jesus is the elder brother, God is our
Father, and it is our Fathers house.
What is the essential feature of the family? I believe it is a shared
life source. God the Father is the life source of us all, and we are
together in His family. It is not an institution, not an organization,
but a life source that we all share.
What is required of us, as members of Gods family? I suggest
that it is mutual acceptance. Jesus calls us His brothers because God
calls us His sons. If God calls our fellow believers His sons, we have to
call them our brothers. That is not always easy. You may choose your
friends, but you do not choose your family. Even so, we must accept
one another.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that I am a

member of Gods family, with God as my Father and Jesus as my
elder brother. In love, my Father has predestined me to be adopted
as His son or daughter. Amen.
Seven Pictures of Gods People, Part 2 (audio)
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August 30
The Best Family in the Universe

ometimes there are problems with earthly parents that can never
be resolved. But, friends, it does not matter if nobody wanted you,
nobody loved you, or your parents were not even married. When you
come to God through Jesus Christ, you become a member of the best
family in the universe, and God has no second-class children.
Gods family is the best family. There is no family quite equal to
it. Again, even if your own family did not care for youperhaps your
father rejected you, your mother never had time for you, or your husband never showed you affectionGod wants you. You are accepted.
You are the object of His special care and affection. Remember, everything He does in the universe revolves around you.
As I wrote earlier, when God says that we are accepted, He does
not mean tolerated. We never bother Him. We do not upset Him or
disturb Him. We never take too much of His time. The only thing that
upsets Him is when we stay away too long.
He does not push us off into a corner and say, Wait. Im too busy.
I dont have time for you. Rather, He welcomes us eagerly and lovingly.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that by coming

to Jesus Christ, I have become a member of the best family in the
universe. God welcomes me, because in love, my Father predestined
me to be adopted as His son or daughter. Amen.
How to Overcome Rejection and Betrayal (audio)
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August 31
Welcoming the Prodigal

et us review a central truth illustrated in the parable of the prodigal son, which Jesus related to His disciples in Luke 15:1132.
The father was out there looking for his boy to bring him back home.
Other people did not have to come and say, Your sons come home!
because the first one to know it was the father. He knew it before the
rest of the family found out.
Gods attitude toward us in Christ is like that. We are not rejects.
We are not second-class citizens. We are not just servants. When the
prodigal came back, he was willing to be a servant. But his father
would not hear of it. On the contrary, he said,
Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his
hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and
kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and
is alive again; he was lost and is found.
(verses 2224)
The whole household was turned upside down to welcome the

prodigal.
Likewise, Jesus said, There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not
need to repent (verse 7 niv). Thats how God welcomes us in Christ.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that God

welcomes me in Christ, rejoicing that I am alive. In love, my Father
predestined me to be adopted as His son or daughter. Amen.
From Rejection to Acceptance (New Wine article)
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September 1
God Chose in Advance

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world.
(Ephesians 1:34)
od foreknew us, and, on the basis of His foreknowledge, He chose

us. You are not where you are because you made the choice; you
are where you are and who you are because God made the choice. That
truth makes a world of difference to your attitude toward yourself
and your situation, both of which were initiated by God. You did not
set your life in motion; God did.
God not only foreknew us, but He also predestined us. Some people are afraid of the word predestined and what it implies. I want to
suggest to you that it merely means that God arranged, in advance,
the courses that our lives would follow. As Paul stated in Romans
8:29, For whom He foreknew, He also predestined. He worked it all out
in advance.
Then, in Ephesians 1:11, Paul wrote, We have obtained an inheritance [in Christ], being predestined according to the purpose of Him who
works all things according to the counsel of His will.
This assurance should give you security. You have been predestined; the course of your life has been arranged in advance by the One
who works out everything in the way He plans it. He works all things
according to the counsel of His own will.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that the course
of my life has been arranged in advance by the One who works
everything the way He wants it. In love, my Father predestined me to
be adopted as His son or daughter. Amen.
The Roman Pilgrimage, Vol. 2: Romans 8:268:39 (audio)
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September 2
What God Has Done!

hen Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple separating a
holy God from sinful man was torn in two, a declaration that
we can have His acceptance. (See, for example, Matthew 27:51.) It was
torn from top to bottom so that nobody could ever say that a man was
responsible. This act was done by God. The torn veil is the Fathers
invitation to every person who believes in Jesus, Come in; you are
welcome. My Son has endured your rejection so that I may offer you
My acceptance.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world.
(Ephesians 1:34)
Notice that this ultimate choice is not ours, but Gods. Do not
imagine that you are saved because you chose to be saved! You are
saved because God chose you, and you responded to His choice. You
might change your mind, but God does not change His.
There is a great deal of misplaced emphasis in many contemporary presentations of the gospel that seems to indicate that everything depends on what we do. It is true that we have to choose, but
we would never be able to choose if God had not chosen us in the first
place. You will find you are much more secure as a Christian when you
are basing your relationship with God not on what you do but on what
God has done. God is more dependable than you and I!
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that I am a child

of God, based not on what I do, but on what God has done. In love,
my Father has predestined me to be adopted as His son or daughter.
Amen.
Atonement, Vol. 2: Rejection vs. Acceptance (audio)
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Week 36:
My Father knows what I need,
even before I ask Him.
For your Father knows the things you have need of
before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:8
September 3
God Knows Me Completely

My Father knows what I need, even before I ask Him.
od knows each of us totally, even beyond knowing how many

hairs are on our heads. (See Matthew 10:30.) In this beautiful
passage from Psalms, David began with what seems like a gasp of
astonishment:
O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know
when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my
thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying
down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even
before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost
know it all. Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, and laid
Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is
too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or
where can I flee from Thy presence?
(Psalm 139:17 nasb)
Think about what David said: God knows our thoughts from a
distance. A man who once had a revelation of God related that the
angel who brought the revelation told him, Mens thoughts sound as
loud in heaven as their voices do on earth. That was a shock to me.
But that is essentially what David said here.
Surely, when we consider all of that, we must echo these words
of David: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot
attain to it. David asked, Where can I go from Thy Spirit? That is the
key that explains how God knows everything in the whole universe
through His Spirit. The Spirit of God permeates the entire universe;
there is no place where the Spirit of God is not present. Through His
Spirit, God knows everything that we know, and moreHe knows
things we can never know, such as the number of hairs on our heads.
Thank You, Father, that You know me completely. I proclaim that

through His Spirit, God knows everything that I know about myself
and more. My Father knows what I need, even before I ask Him.
Amen.
Secure in Gods Choice, Part 1 (audio)
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September 4
God Knows All

losely related to the eternal nature of God is His omniscience.

In 1 John 3:20, we are confronted with a profound yet simple
revelation: Godknows all things. There is nothing that God does not
know. From the tiniest insect in the earth to the most distant star in
the galaxy, there is nothing that God does not know completely.
God knows things about us that we do not know about ourselves.
As I wrote yesterday, He knows the number of hairs on each of our
heads. (See Matthew 10:30.)
God knew the number of inhabitants in the city of Nineveh. (See
Jonah 4:11.)
He knewand controlledthe growth of the plant that shaded
Jonah. He also knewand controlledthe action of the worm that
caused the plant to wither. (See Jonah 4:67.)
The apostle Paul wrote about the things that eye has not seen, nor
ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9). He
continued, But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the
Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God (verse 10).
The Holy Spirit both plumbs the deepest depths and scales the
highest heights of all that was, is, and is to come. His knowledge is
infinite. It is in the light of this infinite knowledge that we must each
be prepared to give an account of ourselves to God. And there is no
creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the
eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13).

Gods knowledge is infinitethere is nothing He does not know. My
Father knows what I need, even before I ask Him. Amen.
The Holy Spirit: Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipresent (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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September 5
Jesus Supernatural Knowledge and Wisdom

he supernatural knowledge and wisdom of God was manifested

throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus, but perhaps never more
clearly than through His dealings with Judas Iscariot. When the disciples told Jesus, We have come to believe and know that You are the
Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God (John 6:69), Jesus gave
them an answer in which He revealed that being the Messiah would
entail being betrayed by one of His own followers: Did I not choose
you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the
son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve
(John 6:7071). Jesus knew, by the Holy Spirit, that Judas would
betray Him, even before Judas knew it himself.
Even so, Judas could not carry out his plan until Jesus spoke a
word that released him to do so. At the Last Supper, Jesus warned His
disciples, One of you will betray Me (John 13:21). When questioned
about who it would be, Jesus replied,
It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.
And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus
said to him, What you do, do quickly.Having received the piece
of bread, he then went out immediately.
(John 13:2627, 30)
I am awed by the realization that Judas could not carry out his
plan to betray Jesus until Jesus Himself spoke the word that released
him to do it. Throughout this whole scene, it was the Betrayed, not the
betrayer, who was in control.

Jesus manifested the supernatural knowledge and wisdom of God,
who knows all. My Father knows what I need, even before I ask Him.
Amen.
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September 6
God Is in Control
hen we comprehend the completeness of Gods knowledgeHis

foreknowledge, in particularit gives us the assurance that no
matter what happens, God is never taken by surprise. There is no such
thing as an emergency in the kingdom of heaven. Not only does God
know the end from the beginning, but He Himself is both the Beginning and the End (Revelation 21:6). And He is always in total control.
God specifically knows those whom He has chosen to be with
Him in eternity. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many
brethren (Romans 8:29).
If, by the mercy and grace of God, we make it through to that glorious, eternal destination, Jesus will never greet any one of us with
the words, I never expected to see you here! Rather, He will say, My
child, Ive been waiting for you. We couldnt sit down to the marriage
feast until you came. At that glorious banquet, I believe that every
place setting will carry the name of the person for whom it is prepared.
Until the number of the redeemed is complete, God waits with
amazing patience, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

God is always in total control; He is never taken by surprise. My
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September 7
Praying in the Will of God

he prayer of petition is a prayer that we use to make requests of

God. It has a legitimate, albeit small, place in prayer, for God knows
what we need before we even ask Him. Many people think that praying means going to God with your shopping list. But that is not what
He needs or requires.
We all have needs, from time to time, but if we can learn to pray,
that is the greatest answer. As my friend Bob Mumford used to say,
What should I do? Give people just one nugget out of the mine or
show them the way to the mine itself? I might pray for you, and you
might be healedthat is a gold nugget. But I could also show you the
way to the mine. Then, you could get as many gold nuggets as you
wanted.
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that
He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
(1 John 5:1415)
So, if we have a petition, and we are praying in the will of God, we
should end that petition knowing that we have what we asked for. If
we pray according to the will of God, then we know He hears us. If we
know He hears us, we know we have that for which we have asked.

when I pray according to the will of God, I know that He hears me.
And if I know that He hears me, I know I have that for which I ask.
My Father knows what I need, even before I ask Him. Amen.
The Prayer Orchestra (audio)
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September 8
Receiving When We Ask

ne of the great secrets of getting things from God is receiving.

There are many people who ask but never receive. There is a
Scripture verse that is very emphatic about this principle of receiving.
Jesus was speaking about petitioning God, and He said,
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

(Mark 11:24)
The New International Version says, Believe that you have received
it, which is a more literal translation. We receive the things we ask
for when we pray. If you pray in that waybelieving that when you
pray, you receiveyou will have what you ask for.
Notice that receiving is not the same as having. Receiving is settling it; having is the experience that follows. Lets say you have a
financial need. You pray. You are in touch with God. You say, God,
we need fifteen hundred dollars by Thursday. Then, you say, Thank
You, God. You have received it. Nothing has changed in your circumstances, but you have received it nevertheless. You will have it.
Thank You, Father, that You know me completely. I proclaim that I

receive what I request when I pray, because receiving is settling it. My
The Prayer Orchestra (audio)
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September 9
My Exceedingly Great Reward

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by
longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced
themselves with many a pang.
(1 Timothy 6:10 nasb)
he love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Once we allow the

love of money into our lives, out of it will come all sorts of evils
and temptations and pain. The remedy is to seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you
(Matthew 6:33). Get your priorities right. God knows we need certain
things; it is just a question of priorities.
Lets look now at some of the assurances found in the Bible of the
presence and provision of the Lord.
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do
not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great
reward.
(Genesis 14:1)
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life;
as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor
forsake you.
(Joshua 1:5)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want [lack]. (Psalm 23:1)
The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?

(Psalm 118:6 nasb)
The Lord is for us. There is no reason to fear. What can man do
to us if God is for us? In Romans 8:31, Paul said, If God is for us, who
can be against us?
Thank You, Father, that You know me completely. I proclaim that the
Lord is my exceedingly great reward; the Lord is with me and for me.
He is my Shepherd; I shall not lack. My Father knows what I need,
even before I ask Him. Amen.
Gods Last Word, Vol. 4: Hebrews 12:2513:6 (audio)
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Week 38:
As a father has compassion on his children,
so God has compassion on me.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the
Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
Psalm 103:13 (niv)
September 10
Freedom to Love
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in
it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one
will be blessed in what he does.
(James 1:25)
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You
shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. (James 2:8)
he law You shall love your neighbor as yourself is called two things:
the perfect law of liberty and the royal law. It is the perfect law
in that it encompasses every other law. When you really love your
neighbor, fervently and with a pure heart, you cannot but keep all the
other commandments. By keeping that one law, you are obeying all
the laws. It is also the royal, or kingly, law.
It is the perfect law of liberty, or freedom, because nobody can
stop you from loving. Once you have made up your mind to love, people can say all sorts of mean things about you and treat you miserably,
but they cannot stop you from loving. The only person who is totally
free is the person who loves.
Jesus was the perfect example of freedom in love. The authorities
did everything to Him: they beat Him, they pierced His hands and
His feet, they put a crown of thorns on His head, they gave Him vinegar to drink, they abused Him, they reviled Him. But the one thing
they could not do was to stop Him from loving. He loved them to the
end. (See Luke 23:34.)
If you love with that kind of love, nobody can stop you from
doing exactly what you want to dolove. That is why love is called
the perfect law of liberty.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim that I have made
up my mind to love in obedience to Gods perfect law of liberty. As
a father has compassion on his children, so God has compassion on
me. Amen.
Commanded to Love (audio, video)
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September 11
Moved with Compassion

ow is compassion portrayed in Scripture? Lets look at an incident

from the first chapter of Mark.
Now a leper came to Him [Jesus], imploring Him, kneeling down
to Him and saying to Him, If You are willing, You can make
me clean. Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out
His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be
cleansed. As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left
him, and he was cleansed.
(Mark 1:4042)
It says that Jesus was moved with compassion. This response

refers to the bowelscompassion is a gut feeling. The King James
Version refers to the bowels of compassion (1 John 3:17). The bowels
of compassion are where our deepest feelings lienot in the physical heart, but in the gut. This is where it all begins. This is the source
of everything.
When my first wife, Lydia, was writing her autobiography, she
used the phrase, My bowels were moved. The editors of the book
had to explain that this was not the right way to express that feeling in English. But in every other language I knowLatin, Greek,
Hebrewthe deepest, innermost part of you is not referred to as the
heart but the bowels. Whether it is love, fear, hatred, or another emotion, its place of origin is the bowels, which are at your very depth.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim that just as Jesus
was moved with compassion, I want to respond in the same way in
the deepest, innermost part of me. As a father has compassion on his
children, so God has compassion on me. Amen.
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September 12
What Moves Us?

ne of the greatest problems in the church today is personal

ambition on the part of ministers. The apostle Paul addressed
this issue with the church at Philippi, saying,
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of
love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being
of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish
ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
(Philippians 2:13)
Those are very powerful words. Paul was not talking about superficial feelings. They go deep.
I have met many wonderful ministers, but the primary driving
force of todays church, as I see it, is ambition: ambition to build a bigger church, to hold a larger meeting, to put more names on the mailing list, or to make oneself known. Maybe I am being cynical, but,
nevertheless, ambition seems to be a primary force in contemporary
Christianity. However, Paul said, Let nothing be done through selfish
ambition.
I have a question for those of you in the Lords service. It is, by
extension, a question for everyone, for all believers are to be in the
Lords service. By what are you moved? What prompts you to do the
things you do? To speak the words you speak? To relate to people the
way you do? Are you motivated by the love of God and by compassion?
First John 4:78 exhorts us, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is
of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim my desire to be

motivated by the love of God and by compassion. As a father has
compassion on his children, so God has compassion on me. Amen.
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September 13
The Fountain of Compassion

n Psalm 84:6, we read, As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make
it a spring [or a fountain]. After nearly sixty years as a Christian
walking in the way of the Lord, speaking in tonguesI experienced
a transformation. Something entirely new happened within mea
spring was opened inside me that was a fountain of compassion. I had
known the love of God for a long time, and I had always loved my family, but this spring was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
This spring had another source apart from Derek Prince. I began
to understand what the Bible means when it says that Jesus was moved
with compassion. (See, for example, Matthew 9:36; Mark 1:41.) I realized God was sharing His compassion with me, and I prayed, Lord, let
this fountain never become defiled or contaminated, and let it never
become stopped up. God alone determined when it would spring up.
And when the fountain of compassion is flowing within me, it attracts
people to me. They do not know why they are drawn to me, but they
sense something for which they have been longing. I believe that God
is waiting for us to love one another with His divine love.
God has done something else in me, too. He has given me a supernatural concern for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed.
We can talk about faith and righteousness, but if we do nothing for
the people who really need us, these words are empty and meaningless. There is no shortage of people who need us. They are all around
uspeople who need to be loved are everywhere. They are lonely; no
one cares for them; they lack answers and are desperate. You dont
have to go far from home to find people like that. Compassion is the
purpose of God. It is what Hes waiting to see manifest in us.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim my desire for
the fountain of Gods compassion to flow in me and through me, out
to those around me who are needy and desperate. As a father has
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September 14
Caring for the Uncared For

have written a little booklet entitled Orphans, Widows, the Poor and
Oppressed. This booklet astonishes me. As I wrote yesterday, even
after I had been preaching for well over fifty years, and when I had the
impression that I would be preaching for the rest of my life, God gave
me a new kind of compassion I never expected to receive. My rendering of Psalm 84:6 is, When you pass through the Valley of Baca
[weeping], God will open a fountain.
I have passed through the valley of weeping, and God has opened
that fountain for me. It is something sovereign that only God could
do. It is compassion. I have become deeply concernedalmost passionatelyabout the people our society neglects and treads underfoot: the orphans, the widows, the poor, and the oppressed. I am
amazed by how much the Bible has to say about our responsibility to
care for them. From cover to cover of the Bible, it is a major theme of
Gods righteousnesswhether it is in the Patriarchs, under the Law
of Moses, in the Prophets, or in the New Testament.
Generally speaking, we, as Christians, have completely missed a
vital area of our faith and our profession, which is to care for those
whom no one else cares for.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim the truth of
Psalm 84:6: When you pass through the Valley of Baca [weeping],
God will open a fountain. I proclaim that I will walk in this vital area
of faith and profession, caring for those for whom no one else cares.
As a father has compassion on his children, so God has compassion
on me. Amen.
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September 15
A Measure of Righteousness
he words of Job are remarkable. He is here listing sins he did not

commit, of which he was not guilty. Many professing Christians,
however, could be guilty of these sins. If I have kept the poor from their
desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or eaten my morsel by myself,
so that the fatherless could not eat of it (Job 31:1617).
Notice the three groups that Job listed: the poor, the widows,
and the fatherless (or orphans). Job said, in essence, If I have not
done what I ought to have done for them, I am a sinner, and I have
failed my basic obligations. He went on,
(But from my youth I reared him as a father, and from my mothers womb I guided the widow); if I have seen anyone perish for
lack of clothing, or any poor man without covering; if his heart
has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of
my sheep; if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, when I
saw I had help in the gate; then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
let my arm be torn from the socket.
(verses 1822)
Job did not fail to care for the people who had no food, clothing, or families to care for them. Then, he said that if his arm were
not engaged continually in these acts of mercy and generosity, it had
no place in his body at all. His viewpoint is totally different from the
viewpoint most people have today. This was the standard of righteousness of the patriarchs, too, even before the law of Moses and
even before the gospel. God requires us to restore this kind of righteousness in the church by going out of our way to care for widows,
orphans, and those with no food, clothing, or shelter.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim that God
requires me to restore this kind of righteousnesscaring for the
needyin the church. As a father has compassion on his children,
so God has compassion on me. Amen.
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September 16
Clothed with Righteousness

elow, we will read Jobs testimony of the way he lived. God Himself
bore testimony to Job that he was a righteous man. These words
have gripped me so much that I can hardly get beyond them.
When the ear heard, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw,
then it approved me; because I delivered the poor who cried out,
the fatherless and the one who had no helper. The blessing of a
perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widows heart to
sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice
was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and I was
feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the
case that I did not know.
(Job 29:1116)
Isnt it remarkable that Jobs righteousness was not his own?
There is no self-righteousness anywhere in the Bible. Job said, I put
on righteousness, and it clothed me. He was clothed with a righteousness that he had received from God by faith. This was the outworking
of his righteousness.
The poor, the widows, and the fatherless are the objects of Gods
compassion. These are the people whom God has in mind when He
speaks about righteousnessthe widows, the fatherless, the poor,
the blind, and the lame. We can measure how much of Gods righteousness we have by looking at the way we relate to these types of
people.
Thank You, Lord, that You care so much. I proclaim that the poor, the
widow, and the fatherless are the objects of Gods compassionand
they must be recipients of my compassion, as well. As a father has
Orphans, Widows, the Poor and Oppressed (audio, booklet)
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Week 39:
I have received the Spirit of sonship,
and by Him, I cry, Abba, Father.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a
slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of
sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father.
Romans 8:15 (niv)
September 17
The Spirit of Adoption

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage [slavery] again to
fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,
Abba, Father.
(Romans 8:1415)
bba is the Aramaic or Hebrew word commonly used for daddy.

In Israel, a little child will call his father, Abba. And because we
have received the Spirit of adoption, we have the right to address God
as Abba. Father. Daddy.
Paul told us that we have two options. We can be led by the Spirit
of God, or we can be under the spirit of slavery. The spirit of slavery
makes us fearful of punishment; the Spirit of adoption leads us as
Gods children.
The Greek word that is translated as sons indicates a mature son.
When you are first born again of Gods Spirit, you become a child. But
as you are led, you become a mature son or daughter of God. The pathway to maturity is being led by the Holy Spirit, no longer bound under
a spirit of slavery. As Paul wrote in Galatians 518, But if you are led by
the Spirit, you are not under the law.
In order to become a mature son or daughter of God, you must
be led by the Spirit. But remember, if you are led by the Holy Spirit,
you are not under the law. That is our freedomnot a freedom to do
evil, but a freedom to love. Our motivation to do service for Jesus is
love, the most powerful motivator in the world. It works even when
fear does not. Thats what God is bringing us to. Thats what makes us
mature sons and daughters of God. Thats the result of being delivered from the law.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that I am no

longer bound under a spirit of slavery. I have received the Spirit of
adoption. I have received the Spirit of sonship, and by Him, I cry,
Abba, Father. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 2: Deliverance from the Law (audio)
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September 18
Birth and Adoption

hen you receive Jesus Christ, you become a child of God, and
you also receive the Jesus nature, a nature that knows to call
God the Father Daddy. This is a very natural relationship.
In Romans 8, Paul addressed two major subjectsbirth and
adoption. Do not confuse them; they are distinctly different. Birth
produces a nature; adoption gives a legal standing.
God is so good to us that we get it both waysbirth and adoptionbut they dont give us the same thing. We receive something
distinct by each process.
This is perfectly understandable in the light of the customs of the
Roman Empire. In Pauls day, it was not uncommon for the Roman
emperor to have many sons, but when he chose one particular son to
succeed him as emperor, he would also adopt that son. Then, all the
legal rights of the empire would go to that adopted son. The purpose
of adoption was legalit assured the sons inheritance.
We are born again at regeneration, and we receive the Jesus
nature. But, at the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we receive adoption.
Heavens best Lawyer comes in and assures us that we are the children of God. This is what assures us of the inheritance we receive. Do
you see the implication?
It is just like the Roman emperor. If he has a son by natural birth,
his son gets his nature. But in order to receive the inheritance, that
son needs to be adopted; this gives him a legal standing and rightful
inheritance.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that by birth and
adoption, I have received both a natural and legal standing. I have
received the Spirit of sonship, and by Him, I cry, Abba, Father.
Amen.
Way into the Spirit-filled Life: Romans 8: The New Life in the Spirit (audio)
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September 19
Led by the Spirit

here is a popular teaching that convinces people that they must be

super-spiritual to be considered sons of God. But Paul contradicted
this idea in the eighth chapter of Romans, where he wrote that all who
are led regularly by the Holy Spirit are indeed sons of God. For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14). In one
sense, if you are already perfect, you do not need the Holy Spirit. You
need the Holy Spirit, though, if you are to become perfect.
The way to live as a real son or daughter of God is to be led regularly by the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said, My sheep hear My voice,and
they follow Me (John 10:27). By hear, Jesus meant regularly hear, regularly follow. This is not an up-and-down, once a week process; rather,
it is a regular, continuing relationship.
Paul continued in Romans 8:15, For you did not receive the spirit
of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom
we cry out, Abba, Father. The spirit of bondage, very simply, is the
law. Instead of being bound by the law, you have received the Spirit of
God, who assures you of your identity as a child of God. As a child of
God, you have all the rights of the inheritance. Paul assured us, The
Spirit Himself bears witness with our [regenerated] spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs [inheritance is the subject]; heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ (verses 1617).
Many people receive assurance of being children of God only
when they are baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes in to
assure you that you are a child of God and that you have a legal right
to your inheritance. You are not merely born, but you are also adopted,
and this passage clearly connects adoption and inheritance.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that I am a child

of God, with all the rights of inheritance. I have received the Spirit of
sonship, and by Him, I cry, Abba, Father. Amen.
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September 20
Going on to Pentecost
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God.
(Romans 8:16)
et me point out one simple, historic facta conclusion at which

most sound Bible scholars have arrived. There is a direct correspondence in time periods between the deliverance of Israel out of
Egypt and the experience of the early Christians.
The Passover lambs execution corresponds to the day on which
Jesus died.
The crossing of the Red Sea corresponds to Jesus resurrection
from the grave.
The receiving of the Law at Mount Sinai, fifty days after the Passover, corresponds to the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.
I point this out because when you have been delivered through
the blood and through the resurrection of Jesus, you have two choices:
you can go to Sinai, or you can go to Pentecost. Quite a lot of people go
to Sinaithey go back under the law. They receive the spirit of bondage again to fear (verse 15). But Paul said, in essence, You have not
received a spirit of bondage to fear; you have received the Spirit of
adoption, who tells you that you are a child of God.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that I have not
received a spirit of bondage again to fear, but a spirit of adoption,
which tells me that I am a child of God. I have received the Spirit of
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September 21
Suffering and Reigning

aul wrote in Romans 8:18, For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us. If we wish to reign with Christ, we must be prepared
to suffer. We read in 2 Timothy,
This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live
with Him. If we endure [suffer], we shall also reign with Him. If
we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains
faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
(2 Timothy 2:1113)
So, we see that if we suffer, we will reign; but if we deny Jesus
Christ, He will deny us. There come times in our lives when we are
challenged to either suffer with Him or deny Him, and the issues
are put clearly before us. (See, for example, Acts 14:22; Philippians
1:2930; 2Thessalonians 1:410.)
I have a beautiful picture that I would like to describe to you. It
comes from the tabernacle, and it concerns three of the main colors,
especially in the high priests garments: blue, purple, and scarlet. Blue
is a type of heavenly color; scarlet is a type of human nature, as well
as the blood; and purple is the perfect blending of blue and scarlet,
which speaks of Christ as God incarnate. The blue of heaven and the
scarlet of earth blend to make purple. This is a beautiful picture of
the nature of Jesus Christboth God and man, perfectly blended in
a new color.
The significance of purple in Scripture is twofold: it signifies royalty and suffering. You cannot wear the purple in the kingdom if you
do not first wear it on earth by suffering. If we suffer, we will reign.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that if I endure

suffering, I shall also reign with You. I have received the Spirit of
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September 22
The Scope of Our Inheritance

ets look at a verse that speaks about the extent of our inheritance
in Christ. Romans 8:23 reads, He [God] who did not spare His own
Son [Jesus], but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him
freely give us all things? (nasb). When we receive Christ, God freely
gives us all things. Apart from Him, we receive nothing. There is a
strong emphasis in this verse on the scope of the inheritance and its
absolute freedom. We cannot earn it. We receive it as a free gift that
includes all things. We are heirs of the total inheritanceall that God
the Father has, all that God the Son haswhen we receive Christ.
In his first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul tried to show the
believers how rich they were. He actually rebuked them a little
because they were acting as though they were poor. They were being
mean, petty, and envious toward one another. Paul said, in effect,
You people dont realize what youve got.
So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether
Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present
or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and
Christ belongs to God (1 Corinthians 3:2123 nasb). What a breathtaking statement. Paul said, in effect, All things belong to you. Stop
acting petty and frivolous. Dont get hung up on preachers, either.
Stop being so small-minded. Everything is yours. Remember, the
gift of the inheritance is freely given to us; we cannot earn it. But it is
important that we ask the Holy Spirit to enlarge our faith and understanding. The Holy Spirit is the administrator, and unless He speaks
to us and guides us into the truth, these will just be words, not reality.
The Holy Spirit makes the promises a reality.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that by receiving

Christ, I am an heir of the total inheritance. I have received the Spirit
of sonship, and by Him, I cry, Abba, Father. Amen.
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September 23
The Eternal Fatherhood of God

ets take a closer look at the relationship of the Father to His children: For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Ephesians 3:1415).
The J. B. Phillips translation of verse 15 reads, From whom all
fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name. This verse contains
a tremendous revelationthat the fatherhood of God is eternal,
named after the fatherhood of God in heaven and deriving its sanctity
and authority from being a projection on earth of the divine, eternal
fatherhood of God in heaven.
Before creation ever took place, God was already a Fatherthe
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This relationship of fatherhood and
sonship within the Godhead is eternal. Before creation was brought
into being, God was eternally a Father and Christ was eternally His
Son. Every fatherhood in creation is named after the eternal fatherhood of God.
In a familiar verse from the gospel of John, Jesus said, In My
Fathers house are many mansions (John 14:2). This verse reveals the
fact that God is a Father, and He has a house. In Scripture, however,
the word house is never used primarily to indicate a physical, material
building. Rather, it is always used of a family and the building they
occupy. When Jesus said, In My Fathers house, He was talking about
Gods heavenly family. God is eternally a Father, and family life has
its origin in eternity in the father/son relationship within the Godhead.
Thank You, Father, that I am Your child. I proclaim that the

fatherhood of God is eternal, and I am part of Gods heavenly family.
I have received the Spirit of sonship, and by Him, I cry,
Abba, Father. Amen.
Fatherhood (audio)
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Week 39:
My Father has made me.
Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and
unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought
you? Has He not made you and established you?
Deuteronomy 32:6
September 24
Doubly His
ere is a parable I told to a group of Maoris, who are great wood

carvers, to illustrate the price Jesus paid to redeem us from our
sins.
There was once a boy who carved a beautiful little wooden sailboat. One day he took it down to the ocean to sail, but the wind
changed and carried his boat out to sea. Since he could not recover his
boat, he went home without it.
The next high tide brought the boat back again, and it was found
by a man walking along the seashore. He inspected the boat and saw
that it was beautifully made, so he sold it to a shopkeeper who cleaned
it up and put it in his window, priced to sell.
Some while later, the boy passed by the shop and saw his boat. He
knew immediately that it was his, but he had no way to prove it. So, if
he wanted it back, he knew he would have to buy it.
He set to work to earn the money by washing cars, mowing
lawns, and other tasks. When he finally raised the necessary funds,
he walked into the shop and bought back his boat. He took it in his
hands, and, holding it to his breast, said, Now youre mine! I made
you and I bought you.
Picture yourself as that boat. You may feel inadequate or worthless; you may wonder if God really cares. But the Lord is saying to you,
Now youre doubly MineI made you and I bought you; youre fully
Mine.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that I am doubly
the Lords because He made me and He bought me. My Father has
made me. Amen.
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September 25
The Beauty of Life

n Genesis 2:7, we read the account of the creation of man. A personal

God created a personal man for personal fellowship with Himself.
Here, it is Person to person. It is not an abstraction. It is not some
mysterious force at work in the universe, but it is a Person creating
another person in order to have fellowship with that person. To me,
this so vividly brings out the fact that one main reason that God created man was to enjoy fellowship with him.
Picture the scene! The Lord kneeled down, took dust in His
hands, mixed it with water, and molded it into the body of a man.
But it was lifeless! Then, something marvelous happened. The Creator
leaned forward, put His divine lips against the lips of clay, pressed
His divine nostrils against the nostrils of clay, and breathed life into
them. His breath penetrated the form of clay and transformed it into
a living human being with every organ of its body functioning perfectly, and with all the marvelous spiritual, intellectual, and emotional responses of which a human being is capable. No other being
has ever been created in such a way.
The words used to describe this miracle are particularly vivid.
The Hebrew language is one in which the sounds of certain words
relate directly to the action they name. The sound of the Hebrew word
translated breathed can be rendered yip-pach. It consists of a tiny,
internal explosion, followed by a forceful, ongoing release of air
from the throat. Thus, it vividly represents the action it names.
As the Lord stooped down over those lips and nostrils of clay,
He did not let out a languid sigh. He exhaled a forceful breath into
that body of clay, which thus received a miraculous impartation of
the very life of God.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that the Lord wants
to enjoy fellowship with me, and He breathed His life into me. My
Father has made me. Amen.
Bible Psychology, Vol. 1: What Gods Mirror Reveals: Triune Man at Creation (audio)
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September 26
Our Priceless Bodies

ets look for a moment at something the Bible says about the material out of which the human body is made. Some of you probably do
not know that the Bible has quite a lot to say about that.
It always grieves me when Christians downgrade their own bodies and talk about them as if they were inferior or of little importance.
Brothers and sisters, our bodies are miracles. If your car was totaled
in a wreck and you had to replace it, all you would need is a certain
amount of dollars and you could purchase a new car. But if you injure
even one eye, there is no way you can pay for a new eye. It is priceless.
So it is with every other major organ of the body. It grieves me when
I see Christians taking more care of their cars than they do of their
bodies. That is a very foolish scale of values.
Psalm 139 is a psalm that David wrote as a meditation on the
marvels of his own body. David said to the Lord,
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

(Psalm 139:14)
David was talking about his physical body. I wonder if you would
agree to say those same words about your own body. It would change
the attitude of some of you. Some Christians are almost burdened
down with their bodies. They seem to wish that they did not have
the problem of a body. That is a false viewpoint. Say these words
aloud right now: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that my body
is priceless, and I say, I will praise You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made. My Father has made me. Amen.
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September 27
This Marvelous Workmanship

n the book of Job, we find a beautiful summation of Gods creative

work in forming our bodies:
Your hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity;
yet You would destroy me. Remember, I pray, that You have made
me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Did You not
pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese,?

(Job 10:811)
As in Genesis 2:7, where the word formed indicates a very careful, skillful work, so, too, Job emphasizes the immense skill and care
that God devoted to forming the human body. What vivid expressions! Verses 1011 say, Did You notclothe me with skin and flesh, and
knit me together with bones and sinews? What a beautiful picture of the
interrelationship of the various main parts of the body. In Psalm 139,
David wrote, Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in
thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them (verse 16 kjv).
God brought your body into being on a blueprint, and there is a
number for every member. Every member is written up in Gods book.
Compare that statement with what Jesus said in Luke 12:7: But the
very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of
more value than many sparrows. Such is the intensity of Gods concern
for our physical bodiesHe takes an interest in even the smallest
details. When we realize this truth, we must also realize that God has
a purpose for the marvelous workmanships that are our own bodies.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that God formed
me with immense skill and careand that He has a purpose for this
marvelous workmanship that is my body. My Father has made me.
Amen.
Bible Psychology, Vol. 2: Achieving Inner Harmony: Gods Plan for the Believers Body (audio)
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September 28
His Dwelling Place

hat is the purpose for which our bodies were made? It is an

important purpose, and the answer is exciting and simple. In
his first epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote,
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own?
Why did God design and create a body for man? The answer is
amazing. He wanted the body of each redeemed believer to be a temple for Him to dwell in, through His Holy Spirit. Again, if you view
your own body from that perspective, it will give you a totally different attitude toward it. Your body was designed to be a temple for God
to inhabit.
The Bible tells us that God does not dwell in temples made with
hands. (See Acts 7:48; 17:24.) You could build any buildinga synagogue, a cathedral, a church, whatever you desirebut God will not
live there. When Gods people meet in such buildings, God will be
there with them, but He doesnt live there. God has designed His own
temple. What is it? Our bodies.
It is staggering to think that almighty God, the Creator of heaven
and earth, wants to occupy our physical bodies and make them His
temple.
When Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit in John 7, He
said, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit) (verse
38 kjv). There is an area in your physical body that God wants to
occupy with His Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that my body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within me. My Father has made me.
Amen.
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September 29
Presenting Our Members

ets continue to consider Gods purpose for the human body. Our
physical members are to become slaves, or instruments, of righteousness. First, the Holy Spirit takes up His dwelling place; then, our
bodies become His instruments.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your
flesh. For just as you presented your members [physical members] as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in
further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to
righteousness, resulting in sanctification [holiness].

(Romans 6:19 nasb)
Gods program for our physical members is for us to present

them to Him as slaves, ready to do His will no matter what. Romans
6:13 tells us to present our physical members as instruments of righteousness. When presented to God without reservation, our bodies
become sanctified and worthy temples of the Holy Spirit.
When our members are yielded to Him without reservation, as
slaves or instruments to do His will, then God says, All right, since
the body is Mine, Ill accept full responsibility for its maintenance
and its well-being, both in this life and in the next.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that I now present
my body to God, without reservation, to be a sanctified and worthy
temple of the Holy Spirit. My Father has made me. Amen.
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September 30
Placed on the Altar

n Romans 12:1, Paul instructed us to sacrifice our bodies while we

are still living: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of Gods mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Godthis is your
spiritual act of worship (niv).
If you offer your body as a living sacrifice to God, you no longer
claim ownership of your body. You no longer decide where your body
will go. You no longer decide what your body will do. You no longer
decide what your body will eat or what it will wear. You have given up
the right to make those decisions. From now on, your body no longer
belongs to youit belongs to God. You have sacrificed it, living, to
Him on His altar.
Whatever is placed on the altar of God belongs to God from that
point on. It no longer belongs to the person who gave it. That is what
God requires: that we sacrifice our bodies, just as Jesus sacrificed His
body. The difference is that Jesus sacrificed His body through death,
while we are asked to sacrifice our bodies when still aliveto hand
them over to God, to give up our rights and our claims to them.
Now, that concept may sound very frightening. But I want to tell
you that it is very exciting. God has all sorts of ideas about what He
will do with you and your body. But He is not going to tell you until
your body belongs to Him. You must first commit your body to Him,
and then you will understand what to do with it.
Thank You, Lord, for Your work in me. I proclaim that I now place my
body as a living sacrifice on Gods altar. It no longer belongs to me,
but to God. My Father has made me. Amen.
Objective for Living: To Do Gods Will (audio)
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Week 40:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you.
Psalm 122:6
October 1
Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.
n Genesis 12:23, we read Gods original promise to Abraham when

He told him to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and go to another land:
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make
your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who
bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on
earth will be blessed through you.
(niv)
The Jewish people are the touchstone by which all other nations
are going to be judged. Scripture gives us a warning in this regard:
May all who hate Zion, be put to shame and turned backward (Psalm
129:5 nasb). Any nation that opposes Gods purpose for the restoration of Zion will be put to shame and turned backward. Nations
determine their destinies by how they respond to the restoration of
Gods people.
A beautiful and familiar promise of blessing for those who align
themselves with Gods purposes for Jerusalem, for Israel, and for
Gods people is found in Psalm 122:6: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee (kjv). We cannot merely take a neutral
attitude and say, Lets see what happens. We have to actively align
ourselves with what God is saying in His Word and what He is doing
in history.
The primary way in which we can do this is through our prayers.
We can pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for its restorationfor
Jerusalem to become all that God has declared in the Scriptures that
it shall be. To those who pray and are concerned, this is the promise:
They shall prosper that love thee.
Thank You, Lord, for the blessing You promise to those who love
Israel. I proclaim that those who pray and are concerned about
Jerusalem will prosper. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they
prosper who love you. Amen.
Prophetic Guide to the End Time (book)
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October 2
Seeking Israels Good by Prayer

he Bible exhorts us to seek the good of Israel through our prayers.

To pray effectively in this way, we need to search out from the
Scriptures Gods purposes for Israel and Jerusalem. Then, we need to
set ourselves to pray intelligently and consistently for the outworking and fulfillment of those purposes. As we make this scriptural
study, we will discover that, ultimately, righteousness and peace are
ordained to flow forth from Jerusalem to all the nations of the earth.
Thus, the well-being of every nation is included in this prayer for
Jerusalem and depends on its fulfillment.
A challenging scriptural example of this kind of praying was provided by Daniel, who prayed three times daily with his window open
toward Jerusalem. Daniels prayers disturbed Satan and threatened
his kingdom such that he used the jealousy of evil men to bring about
a change in the laws of the entire Persian Empire so that Daniels
prayers would be rendered illegal. Still, praying for Jerusalem meant
so much to Daniel that he preferred to be cast into the lions den
rather than give up his praying. Ultimately, Daniels faith and courage overcame the satanic opposition. He emerged triumphant from
the lions denand kept praying for Jerusalem.
From my own experience of many years, I have discovered that
making a commitment of this kind to pray for Jerusalem and Israel
definitely stirs up a special measure of opposition from satanic forces.
On the other hand, I have also discovered that Gods promise given to
those who pray in this way holds true.
This is a scriptural pathway to prosperitynot merely financial
or material prosperity, but also a prosperity that encompasses an
abiding assurance of Gods favor.
Israel. I proclaim that as I pray for Jerusalem, I receive an abiding
assurance of Gods favor. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May
they prosper who love you. Amen.
Our Debt to Israel (booklet)
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October 3
Gods Restoration for His People

he call to pray for Jerusalem is directed at everyone who accepts

the Bible as Gods authoritative Word. God requires all of His people, from every nation and every background, to be concerned about
the peace of one particular city: Jerusalem. There is a practical reason
for this. Gods purpose for this age will climax in the establishment
of His kingdom. Each time we pray the familiar words, Thy kingdom
come, we are aligning ourselves with this purpose. (See, for example,
Matthew 6:10 kjv.)
We must remember, however, that the prayer continues, Thy will
be done in earth, as it is in heaven (verse 6:10 kjv). It is on earth that
Gods kingdom is to be established. His kingdom is invisible as yet
to human eyes, but it is not vague or amorphous. It will ultimately
have a tangible, earthly realization. The capital and center of Gods
kingdom on earth will be the city of Jerusalem. The administration
of righteous government will go forth from Jerusalem to all nations
on earth. In response, the gifts and worship of these nations will
flow back to Jerusalem. Thus, the peace and prosperity of all nations
depend on that of Jerusalem. Until Jerusalem enters into her peace,
no nation on earth can know true, lasting peace.
To all who heed Gods call to love Jerusalem and pray for her peace,
God gives a special, precious promise: They shall prosper (Psalm 122:6
kjv). The word translated prosper goes beyond the material realm. It
denotes a deep, inner well-being, a freedom from care and anxiety. As
we align ourselves with Gods plan by praying for Jerusalem, we experience a foretaste of His peace. A sense of inner rest and peace comes
to those who, in the midst of all the turmoil of this world, associate
themselves actively with Gods plans to restore His people.
Israel. An inner peace comes to me as I pray for Gods purposes of
restoration for His people. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May
they prosper who love you. Amen.
Through the Psalms with Derek Prince (book)
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October 4
Reminding the Lord

n Isaiah 62, God calls us to intense, persistent prayer, especially on

behalf of Jerusalem:
I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will
never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
(Isaiah 62:67 niv)
In the New Testament, Jesus related the parable of the unjust

judge, whom a widow kept beseeching incessantly. Jesus concluded
with this question: And will not God bring about justice for his chosen
ones, who cry out to him day and night? (Luke 18:7 niv). Both these
passages indicate that some themes are so important and urgent
that they demand our prayers not only in the daytime, but through
the night hours, as well. The restoration of Jerusalem is one of these
themes.
The prophet Isaiah also described these watchmen as those who
call on the Lord. The literal Hebrew meaning of the word translated
call is interesting. It means those who remind the Lord. In modern
Hebrew, it is the word for a secretary. One important task of a secretary is reminding the employer of the appointments recorded on his
calendar. This provides practical insight into the way God wants us
to pray for Jerusalem. As His intercessor-secretaries, we have two
main responsibilities: first, to be familiar with His prophetic calendar; second, to remind Him of the appointments recorded in it. One
such appointment is Gods end-time commitment to restore Israel
and to rebuild Jerusalem.
Israel. I proclaim that I will remind the Lord till He establishes
Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. I pray for the peace
of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. Amen.
Promised Land (book)
October
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October 5
Speaking Comfort
ow do we align ourselves with Gods purpose for Israel? I want to

suggest one simple way. In Isaiah 40:12, God said, Comfort, yes,
comfort My people! says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry
out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she
has received from the Lords hand double for all her sins.
I have analyzed that verse, and where it says comfort My people,
because of the immediate reference to Jerusalem, I understand it
to mean the Jewish people. The Jewish people cannot be comforted
apart from Jerusalem. Their hearts are totally bound up with the city
of Jerusalem. So, if I am right, and My people is the Jewish people,
to whom are these words spoken? They are spoken in the plural (in
Hebrew) to somebody who would say, Comfort My people. They must
be spoken to people who accept the God of the Bible and the authority of His Word. Who can that be? You and me. People like us, believing Christians. What does God say? Comfort My people, Israel. God
requires us to comfort Israel.
I have been friends with a number of Jewish believers in Jesus,
and one thing that they will point out to me is the fact that the church
worldwide spends much more time criticizing Israel than comforting Israel. We were not called to criticize; rather, we have been commanded to comfort. Will you accept that responsibility?
I believe this comforting is one way of preparing the way of the
Lord. Centuries of prejudice, alienation, and misunderstanding must
be broken down. They must be melted away by the warmth of real
Christian love. I believe that is our assignment at this time.
Israel. I proclaim that I will comfort Gods people and speak comfort
to Jerusalem. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper
who love you. Amen.
Where Are We in Bible Prophecy?: Israel in the End Times (audio, video)
The Last Word on the Middle East: Our Response to Gods Purpose (audio)
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October 6
The Lord, Our Healer

ight after God first redeemed Israel out of Egypt and the Israelites became His redeemed and covenant people, the first specific
revelation of Himself that He gave them was that of healer. This attribute is stated in Exodus 15:26, where the Lord said to Israel, For I, the
Lord, am your healer (nasb).
The phrase your healer, in modern Hebrew, means your doctor.
The word used in Exodus 15:26 is precisely the same word as the modern Hebrew word for doctor. It has not changed its meaning in more
than three thousand years of the history of the Hebrew language. The
Lord said emphatically to Israel, I am your doctor.
Two things that do not change are the Lords name and the Lords
covenant. The Lords position and function as the healer of His people
is united with His name and His covenant. In other words, it never
changes.
Many centuries later, when Jesus came to Israel as its Savior and
Redeemer, thereby fulfilling the promises of the Messiah, He again
manifested God as the healer of His people. The healing ministry of
Jesus did not proceed from Himselfit did not initiate with Him
but it was the expression of Gods healing nature and Gods healing
covenant with His people. The foundation of Gods provision of healing and health for His people is His Word, the Scriptures.
How important it is to see that Gods answer to our need is primarily in His Word! If we ignore His Word, then we really do not have
any right to expect that He will meet our needs. But if we turn to His
Word and seek Him through it, we will find that in His Word, He does
meet all our needsspiritual and physical.
Israel. I proclaim that the Lords position and function as the Healer
of His people is united with His name and His covenant. I pray for
the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. Amen.
Walking through the Land of Gods Promises, Part 3 (audio)
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October 7
Peace and Prosperity

pray daily for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel. I believe that when
the Bible says, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), it also
means that we are to pray for the peace of Christs body. We should be
concerned not just about our own little area, but for the total needs
of the body of Christ. We are not to judge other Christians; we are to
pray for them.
Psalm 122:7 says, Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your
palaces. I believe that this verse illustrates the divine order: when we
have peace, we will have prosperity. When we are at war with one
anothercriticizing one another, turning against one another, and
undermining one anotherwe will not know prosperity. First, peace;
then, prosperity.
Verse 8 reads, For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will
now say, Peace be within you.
I want to add one more basic principle. We need to escape from
the tendency to be self-centered. Self-centeredness is the devils
prison. The more the devil gets you centered in yourself, the more he
has you at his mercy. I have dealt with hundreds of people in deliverance from evil spirits, and I have found one almost universal feature
of people who need deliverancethey are self-centered. By deliberate
effort and choice of our own wills, we must break loose from being
self-centered.
What I love in verse 8 is the phrase, For the sake of my brethren
and companions. It is not enough that things are going well for me. I
need to be concerned about the needs of my brothers and companionsChristians from other backgrounds, other denominations,
other prayer groups, and so forth.
Israel. I proclaim, Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your
palaces. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who
love you. Amen.
Fitly Joined Together (New Wine article)
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Week 41:
Let us fear lest we fail to rest in Christ.
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His
rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come
short of it.
Hebrews 4:1
October 8
Gods Command to Rest

n Deuteronomy 28, we find a list of all the blessings and curses. The
blessings begin with these words: If you diligently obey [hearken to]
the voice of the Lord your God,all these blessings shall come upon you
(verses 12). The curses begin with these words: If you do not obey the
voice of the Lord your God,all these curses will come upon you (verse
15). They hinge on heeding or ignoring the voice of the Lord.
Obedience in worship is the appointed way to come into that
attitude and relationship in which we really hear Gods voice. Or, to
state it another way, we do not hear Gods voice unless we possess an
attitude of worship. Then, in hearing Gods voice, we enter into His
rest. Thus, worship is the way to rest. Only those who really know how
to worship can really enjoy rest.
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for
anyone who enters Gods rest also rests from his own work, just
as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter
that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of
disobedience.
(Hebrews 4:911 niv)
Scripture brings out the fact that because of disobedience, the
people of God failed to enter into rest. I am not insisting we observe
the Sabbath or make Sunday the Sabbath. I am just pointing out that
we can miss the fact that God has commanded us to rest.
I have come to believe that if I am busy seven days a week, every
week, I am not pleasing God. Moreover, I am sure to endanger my
health with this degree of busyness. God is doing something in my
heart about Sabbath rest. I believe He can do something in your
heart, too, that will cause you naturally to keep His divine, eternal,
unchanging laws.
Thank You, Lord, for the promise of entering Your rest. I proclaim
that I make every effort to enter that rest. I shall fear lest I fail to rest
in Christ. Amen.
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October 9
An Attitude of Worship
e can consider these questions as we meditate on this call to

enter Gods rest: Are we making the best use of our time? Do
we really know what it means to rest? Are we capable of disciplining
ourselves to stop doing thingseven mentally? Can we ever lie down
and stop thinking about what we ought to be doing?
God is more concerned with character than with achievements.
Achievements are important only in the realm of time, but character
is eternal. It determines what we will be throughout eternity.
Isaiah had a vision of heaven with glorious creatures and the
throne of the Lord. (See Isaiah 6.) Worship was conducted in heaven
by creatures called seraphim (Hebrew, seraph), a word that relates
directly to the word for fire. These are fiery creatures close to the
throne of God, and they cried out day and night, Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord (Isaiah 6:3). Each one had six wings, which they used impressively. With two wings, they covered their faces; with two other wings,
they covered their feet; and, with the two remaining wings, they flew.
(See verse 2.) I interpret covering the face and feet as the humility of
worship; I interpret flying as acts of service.
I believe in the importance of thanking God and praising Him
out loudeven dancing, clapping, and singing. But there comes a
time when I will put my wings over my face and over my feet in
humble worship and listen to hear what God says.
Today, if you will hear His voice: do not harden your hearts (Psalm
95:78). Develop an attitude of worship and learn to rest. Remember,
the Spirit of the Lord is looking for a certain type of personone
whose heart is perfect toward God. Be that person of character, and
God will show Himself strong on your behalf.
that I am developing an attitude of worship and am learning to rest. I
shall fear lest I fail to rest in Christ. Amen.
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October 10
Choosing to Worship and Rest

n Psalm 95:7, we are given two reasons that we should worship the
Lord: For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock
under his care (niv). The first reason to worship God is because He is
Godour God, the only being in the universe worthy of worship. We
can praise other men and women, but we must not worship them.
Worship is the most distinctive way for us to relate to God as God.
I am convinced that whatever we worship gains control of us.
The more we worship it, the more like it we becomeand the more it
gains power over us. If we do not worship God, how much is He really
our God?
The second reason that we should worship Him is that we are the
people of His pasture. Worship is the way in which we recognize Him
as our God, and it is the appropriate response to His care for us. This
psalm ends with a solemn warning:
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did
at Meribah.For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have
not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger, They
shall never enter my rest.
(verses 78, 1011 niv)
This passage sets before us two options: entering into true worship or refusing to do so. In worship, we hear Gods voice. Upon
hearing and obeying His voice, we enter into rest. The inescapable
conclusion is the importance of hearing Gods voice. As we read in
Jeremiah 7:23, This is what I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice,
and I will be your God (nasb). This is one of the simplest statements of
what God requires: Obey My voice, and I will be your God.
that I choose to enter into true worship, hear and obey Your voice,
and enter into rest. I shall fear lest I fail to rest in Christ. Amen.
The True Heart of Worship (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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Declaring Gods Word
October 11
Walking in Proper Fear

he first let us statement in the book of Hebrews says, Therefore

let us fear (Hebrews 4:1). Does that statement surprise or offend
you? Most Christians have no room for fear.
The people responsible for bringing me to the Lord were a fine
Christian couple who lived in Yorkshire, England. When I visited
them after World War II, they were not doing wellspiritually. The
man believed that there was no room for fear in the Christian life. I
pointed out that it depends on the kind of fear you are talking about.
Psalm 19 says, The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (verse 9).
There is never an end to that kind of fear. This man had decided never
to use medicine, a position that conveys a sense of arrogance. I linked
it with his attitude that rejected fear of any kind. Tragically, he developed diabetes, and his leg had to be amputated. He could hardly get
over the shock that his faith had not brought him healing. I think the
real problem was a failure to understand that a certain kind of fear
is very much a part of the Christian life. The words in Hebrews, let
us fear, are addressed to Christian believers, not unbelievers. Bear
in mind that there is always a possibility of not getting what God
has appointed for us. The entire verse says, Therefore, since a promise
remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come
short of it.
Every promise is two-sided. It offers you good, but if you fail to
claim the promise, you are deprived of something. So much in the
Christian life is the same way. The good is available, but there is always
the possibility of missing it. I believe that we have to come with this
attitude of fear if we are going to be able to enter into Gods rest.
that I come to God with the proper attitude of fear to enter into His
rest. I shall fear lest I fail to rest in Christ. Amen.
October
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October 12
Believing and Entering

For we who have believed do enter that rest [or are entering into
the rest], as He has said [quoting from Psalm 95]: So I swore in
my wrath, They shall not enter My rest; although [Gods] works
were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken
in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: And God rested on
the seventh day from all His works; and again in this place: They
shall not enter My rest.
(Hebrews 4:35)
n that passage, believed is in the past tense; enter is in the present tense. Before we can enter into Gods rest, we must have already
believed. We do not keep believing again; it is something that is done
once. We have made the decision, and, on that basis, we can proceed
to enter into rest. Those who must continually decide to believe anew
do not qualify to enter into the rest. Only we who have believed enter
into rest.
Following up on this theme of rest, lets turn to the Old Testament for a moment. Genesis 2:2 reads, And on the seventh day God
ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from
all His work which He had done. Gods rest is a ceasing from all the
work He did. I believe that God did not rest because He was tired.
Instead, He took pleasure in relaxation. He sat back, looked at everything He had made, and took time to enjoy it.
How many of us ever take the time to enjoy the things that we
have done or made? Today, by the time they have done something,
most people are busy starting the next thing. The pattern that God
established, though, is taking time to enjoy whatever you do after you
have finished it. Whatever it may be that you have done, it is godly to
relax and enjoy it. In fact, the ability to relax is a divine ability.
that one of the pleasures God wants to share is His restHe wants
me to enter into the rest that He entered. So, I shall fear lest I fail to
rest in Christ. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
October 13
Enjoying Creation
e talk about tithingwhat God demands of our resourcesbut

what about Gods demands on our time? From the Israelites,
God demanded one day out of sevena higher proportion than that
which He demanded of their material possessions. How many people
in the church today really give God one day out of seven? That is one
reason that there are so many nervous breakdownsthere are frustrated, frantic, busy people who never get the job done.
God was the first One who rested. He worked, then rested. A Palestinian Arab friend of mine who owns many restaurants says, God
did not work because He had a family to support. And God did not
rest because He was tired. It was on a much higher level than that.
God worked because He is a Creator. God rested, I believe, because
He wanted to enjoy what He had created. If we never take time to
enjoy what we have created, we are in a miserable condition.
Which takes more faith: to work or to rest? Israel failed to enter
into rest because of unbelief. Why can a Christian not rest? Also
because of unbelief. That is the diagnosis of the problem.
Relaxation comes in knowing that God initiated it. My wife and
I used to go away on vacation. But vacation means you have nothing to doit is taken from the word vacant. Sometimes, though, it
is good to have nothing to do. But my wife and I felt that vacation
was the wrong word to use. Instead, we called these periods holidays,
which means holy day. God showed us that it is a sin to never take
a holiday. In Israels calendar, as God ordained it, many holidays were
required. There were no options. They are God-ordained holidays
not because someone wants to be lazy, but because God has said to
take a holiday.
that God rested to enjoy what He created, and I will do the same. I
shall fear lest I fail to rest in Christ. Amen.
The Headship of Jesus, Part 1 (audio, video)
October
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October 14
Walkingand Restingin Faith

he one basic reason that the Israelites did not enter their God-given
inheritance was unbelief. The same thing will keep us from our
inheritance, too. The writer of Hebrews applied their situation to us,
saying, The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in those who heard it (Hebrews 4:2). Gods Word can come
to us, but it does us no good, nor does it accomplish Gods purposes
of blessing, if it is not combined with faith. It takes faith to make the
Word of God work in our lives.
The next verse says, For we who have believed do enter that rest
(verse 3). True faith brings us into rest. Do you have that rest of faith?
Have you met those conditions, or are you in danger of being like the
Israelites, who hardened their hearts? Because of their unbelief, they
missed all that God had for them. What a tragedy if that should happen to us today! Yet the writer of Hebrews makes it very clear that
it can happenindeed, that it will happenif we are not diligent
about entering that rest.
A little further on in Hebrews, we have the practical application
of this lesson: Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone
fall according to the same example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11).
You may have heard me say, When you find a therefore in the Bible,
you need to find out what it is there for. The above verse begins with
a therefore. The point is, let us not go astray in the same way that
the Israelites did in the Old Testament. Lets guard ourselves against
unbelief. Lets be diligent and apply ourselves to walking in faith,
conserving and cultivating our faith, strengthening and encouraging
one anothers faith. Lets not make the same terrible and tragic error
that Israel made through unbelief. Bear in mind that there is a direct,
causal connection between unbelief and disobedience.
that true faith brings me into rest. I shall fear lest I fail to rest in Christ.
Amen.
Faith, Part 1 (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 42:
Let us be diligent.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest,
lest anyone fall according to the same example
of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:11
October 15
The Importance of Diligence

Let us be diligent.
iligence is the second let us resolution that occurs in the fourth

chapter of Hebrews: Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest,
lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience
(Hebrews 4:11 nasb).
I pointed out previously that this warning is based on the experience of the Israelites on their journey from Egypt through the
wilderness. Most of them did not make it through to the Promised
Landthe destination and rest that God had promised thembecause of their misconduct and wrong attitudes. And they fell in the
wilderness. Scripture says that their carcasses fell in the wilderness
because of unbelief and disobedience. (See Numbers 14:29, 32.) And
through unbelief and disobedience, they failed to hear the voice of the
Lord. They had the externals, but they did not have the great essential, inner reality of all true religionhearing the voice of the Lord.
So, that was the mistake of Israela tragic mistake. After saying, Let us fear (Hebrews 4:1), the writer of Hebrews went onstill
on the basis of the example of Israelto say, Let us be diligent. I
believe that is very natural. If we really take to heart the dangers of
that spiritual condition and do fear, in that sense, the next thing we
will naturally do is become diligent.
Lets consider for a moment what diligence is. One way to find
out the meaning of a word is to consider what its opposite is. An obvious opposite of diligence is laziness. The Bible does not have one good
word to say about laziness. It is a theme that does not receive enough
attention in contemporary Christendom.
that the essential, inner reality of all true religion is hearing the voice of
the Lord. I shall be diligent. Amen.
Twelve Steps to a Good Year, Part 1 (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
October 16
Growing and Progressing

Let us be diligent.
ontinuing with the theme of diligence, lets consider what the

writer of Hebrews said a little further on: We want each of you to
show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith
and patience inherit what has been promised (Hebrews 6:1112 niv).
We not only need to be diligent, but we also need to be diligent to the
very end. The opposite of diligence is stated there in plain words: to
become lazy. Not physically lazy, but spiritually lazy.
For this very reason, make every effort [giv[e] all diligence
nkjv] to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
(2 Peter 1:57 niv)
The Christian life is not static. It is a life of adding, growth,
and progress. To be static in the Christian life is to backslide. To do
that adding, as described in the passage above, requires diligence. It
requires making every effort. Peter then went on with an if:
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will
keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them,
he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been
cleansed from his past sins.
(verses 89 niv)
Would you believe that it is possible for somebody to be cleansed
from his past sins and then forget that it even happened? It sounds
unrealistic, but Scripture indicates that it is possible.
Thank You, Lord, for the promise of entering Your rest. I proclaim my
need to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has
been promised. I shall be diligent. Amen.
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October 17
Overcoming Laziness
Let us be diligent.
n 2 Peter 1:89, Peter set before us an alternative; we have two

options. One is to be effective and productive in our knowledge of
the Lord Jesus Christ. The other is to be ineffective and unproductive
through a condition that he described as being nearsighted and blind
(verse 9 niv). Those are strong words. In light of this condition, Peter
continued with a therefore. This therefore relates to the warning that
Peter had given:
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling
and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:1011 niv)
That is good news. There are things we can do that will guarantee we never fall, and also that we will have a rich welcome into the
kingdom of our Lord.
Basically, the condition about which we are warned is laziness. I
am deeply troubled by the lack of concern in Christian circles about
laziness. The majority of Christians view drunkenness with horror.
They would reject any person who professed to being a Christian if he
were drunk. While I agree that drunkenness is a sin, and while I certainly dont condone it, I believe that laziness is much more severely
condemned in the Scripture than drunkenness. The problem is that
many Christians who would never be found drunk are habitually lazy.
So, lets heed that warning to be diligent.
that I will combat laziness, being all the more eager to make my
calling and election sure. I shall be diligent. Amen.
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October 18
Adding Personal Diligence

Let us be diligent.
wo beautiful verses in Proverbs have long been a guiding light to

me. Together, they sum up the conditions for true riches, or enduring wealth. One condition, the Lord meets; the other, we meet. Both
conditions must be fulfilled in order for us to attain the result. The
condition the Lord meets is stated in Proverbs 10:22: It is the blessing
of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it (nasb).
The great, primary condition for true richesspiritual and otherwiseis the blessing of the Lord. We cannot count on anything
being really good apart from the blessing of the Lord. On the other
hand, the blessing of the Lord, by itself, is not sufficient. In Proverbs
10:4, we read, Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand
of the diligent makes rich (nasb). It takes the Lords blessing plus our
own diligence to attain to true wealth. It is not enough to simply
expect the blessing of the Lord, or even to receive the blessing of the
Lord. It will not accomplish its purpose in your life unless you add to
it your own personal diligence. Remember, diligence is the opposite
of laziness.
That is a verse I have proved true in my own experience through
decades of Christian living. I have been in many different situations,
in many different forms of ministry, and in many different lands and
continents, and I think I can say that, by the grace of God, I have
always displayed diligence in things great and small. In every situation
with which I have been involved, I have left it in better condition
spiritually, financially, and in every obvious waythan the condition
it was in when I found it. The blessing of the Lord makes rich, but also
the hand of the diligent makes rich. Add those two together and you
have true spiritual riches.
that the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and the hand of the
diligent makes rich. I shall be diligent. Amen.
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October 19
Fulfillment of Gods Promises

Let us be diligent.
ost of Gods promises are conditional. In other words, when God

makes a promise, He says, If you will do this, then I will do
that. We have no right to claim the promise unless we first meet the
condition He puts forth.
We need to see that the fulfillment of Gods promises does not
depend upon our circumstances, but upon our fulfilling Gods conditions. We must keep our eyes on the conditions, making sure that
we fulfill them instead of being influenced by the circumstances that
might prevent us from doing so.
Lets look at the example of Abraham. God had promised Abraham a son who was to be his heir, but he reached the age of ninetynine, and still no heir had come. (On his own, he produced Ishmael,
but he was not to be the heir.) Why did God allow Abraham to reach
such an old age before He fulfilled His promise? Why does God often
allow us to come to a position of seeming impossibility before He fulfills the promises we are claiming?
First, we are emptied of excessive self-confidence. We realize that
if something is going to be done, God will be the only one who can
do it. Abrahams own body was worthless in terms of procreation, as
was the womb of his wife. There was no natural way that the promise
could be fulfilled. Abraham had to focus his eyes exclusively on God,
the only one capable of fulfilling the promise.
Second, when the promise is finally fulfilled, all the glory goes
to God. Remember, the purpose of the promises is that God may be
glorified. When there is a possibility of us doing something on our
own, we might be tempted to take the credit. But when we come to
the place where we know we cannot do it by our own effort, we are
exhausted of self-confidence, and all the glory truly goes to God.
that the purpose of the promises is that God may be glorified. I shall
be diligent. Amen.
Claiming Our Inheritance, Part 2 (audio)
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October 20
Cultivating Diligence
Let us be diligent.
iligence is a fruit that has to be cultivated. Here are some brief

directions about how it should be cultivated.
In 2 Timothy 2:6, Paul said, The hard-working farmer must be first
to partake of the crops [produce, fruit]. Here, Paul was bringing out a
simple, basic fact: cultivating crops takes hard work. It is not done
without effort. That fact is equally true of the fruit of the Spiritto
cultivate it requires hard work. I want to suggest two ways in which
we can cultivate spiritual fruit in our lives.
First, we need to study Gods Word, for it is the basis of all Gods
provision for us. If we are not familiar with His Word, we almost inevitably forgo many of His provisions. Again, Paul wrote to Timothy, Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). In
order to divide, or handle, the word of truthScripture, the Word of
Godaccurately, we must be workers. In a certain sense, we have to
roll up our sleeves and get to work.
The second direction we must follow is to spend time in prayer. By
prayer, I dont mean merely talking to God, but listeningsomething
that is just as important, if not more so, than talking to Him. Here,
again, Jesus provided us with the perfect pattern. The whole basis of
Jesus earthly ministry was His relationship with His Father. In order
to cultivate and maintain that relationship, Jesus took plenty of time
in prayer. Very often, it was early in the morning. It was there that He
heard the Fathers voice and received direction for His ministry.
that I will cultivate diligence in my life by studying Gods Word and
spending time in prayer. I shall be diligent. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit, Part 1 (audio)
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October 21
The Fruit of Diligence

Let us be diligent.
he fruit of diligence may be produced by cultivating fellowship. We

must not try to lead the Christian life on our own. Scripture says
that we are all members of one body, and we all need one another.
(See, for example, Romans 12:45.) I often think of David going out
to meet Goliath, taking just five smooth stones from the brook as
weapons. Why did those stones have to be smooth? They would not
have been accurate missiles if they had not been smooth, and inaccuracy might have cost David his life. The stones were smooth because
they had been lying in the brook, where water had been passing over
them regularly. They had been jostled against one another, and this
action rubbed away their sharp edges.
I believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ wants to find Christians He can use, He goes to the brook, where the pure water of Gods
Word has been flowing over them, washing them, rounding them off.
There, they have been in fellowship with one another, rubbing away
the rough edges. Cultivating fellowship will make us into smooth
stones.
My last recommendation is to submit to discipline. Fruit does not
come in a persons life without discipline. I have two main forms of
discipline in mind. First, self-disciplinethe way in which we organize our lives. This discipline includes even the simplest of things,
such as when we get up in the morning, what we eat, what we wear,
and personal cleanliness. Managing all these details is essential to
cultivating fruit. Beyond that, I believe every Christian in normal situations should be subject to church discipline. He should be a member of a church, under the authority of the church leaders and subject
to their discipline.
that the fruit of diligence comes by fellowship and discipline, and I
welcome both. I shall be diligent. Amen.
Fruit of the Spirit, Part 1 (audio)
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Week 43:
Let us hold fast our confession.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who
has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our confession.
Hebrews 4:14
October 22
The High Priest of Our Confession

esus position as High Priest relates to our confession. Lets look

at three passages from the book of Hebrews. First, Hebrews 3:1
reads, Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. Jesus
was the Apostle sent out by God to provide redemption. Having provided redemption, He returned to God to be our High Priest in the
presence of God. He is the High Priest of our confession. That idea is
radical: No confession, no High Priest. If we close our lips on earth,
we silence our Advocate in heaven. The more we confess, the more we
release His high priestly ministry on our behalf.
Next, well read Hebrews 4:14: Seeing then that we have a great
High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let
us hold fast our confession. To hold fast means to say something, then
keep on saying it. Dont back off. Dont get discouraged.
Finally, Having a High Priest over the house of God,let us hold fast
the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:21, 23). Notice the change there. It is not the confession of our faith but the confession of our hope. If we confess faith
long enough, it becomes hope. Faith is the substance of things hoped
for (Hebrews 11:1). When we have built a substance of faith, then
hope comes. My definition of biblical hope is a confident expectation
of good. But we must hold fast the profession or confession without
wavering. Why does it say without wavering? Let me illustrate with
the following image. When you are traveling in an airplane and the
Fasten Seat Belt sign goes on, it tells you to expect turbulence. In the
same way, without wavering tells you to expect opposition. The battle
is fought and won when we maintain our confession.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are the High Priest of our confession.
I proclaim that Jesus is my Advocate in heaven, in the presence of
God, and I hold fast that confession without wavering. I shall hold fast
my confession. Amen.
Complete Salvation and How to Receive It, Part 2 (audio, video)
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Declaring Gods Word
October 23
Making the Right Confession

can illustrate confession from a book entitled Fear No Evil, written by Natan Sharansky, a Jewish refusenik. Sharansky was not a
Christian, but even so, the KGB (Soviet secret police) arrested him
and put him through nine years of misery. As I read his story, I saw
in the KGB the most vivid demonstration of Satan and his tactics. In
Natan Sharansky, I recognized the way to win. He was a highly qualified chess player, and he decided to deal with the KGB as he would
with a chess opponent: by staying one move ahead.
Though he did not have a faith in a personal God, he did have a
concept of God through his Jewish roots. Many Jewish prayers begin
with O Lord, our God, king of the universe. In teaching himself
Hebrew, he decided to write out a prayer that he could repeat whenever needed. It was a petition for God to be with him, protect his family, and bring him to Israel. Whenever he was under pressurefor
instance, awaiting interrogationhe would repeat the prayer several
times. He said that prayer about ten times a day for nine yearsthat
amounts to more than thirty thousand times! How many Christians
would go on praying the same prayer thirty thousand times?
One aim of the KGB was to get Sharansky to make the wrong confession. If he would just say that he was a traitor, they would release
him. But he refused. The battle raged for nine years. By making the
right confession and reiterating the right prayer, he won. Being victorious, he later immigrated to Jerusalem.
How that impressed me about Satans tactics! Satan uses every
kind of pressure, every inducement, every lieall with one aim: to
get us to make the wrong confession. We defeat him, however, by
maintaining the right confession.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are the High Priest of our confession. I
proclaim that we defeat our enemy by maintaining the right confession.
I shall hold fast my confession. Amen.
Complete Salvation and How to Receive It, Part 2 (audio, video)
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October 24
The Words We Speak

nother word for confession is testimony. We read in the book of

Revelation, They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11).
We have acknowledged that we overcome Satan when we testify
personally to what the Word of God says the blood of Jesus does for
us. Testimony is a very simple thingjust saying words that agree
with Scripture. Testimony saves us; it is our protection. I cannot overemphasize its importance.
The writer of Hebrews called Jesus the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1). Confession literally means saying the same as.
For us, as believers in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, confession means
saying with our mouths the same thing that God says in His Word.
We make the words of our mouths agree with the Word of God. Jesus
can advocate on our behalf only when we make the right confession.
Whether we call it testimony or confession, it is indispensable in
order for us to receive the salvation of God.
Jesus said, For by your words you will be justified, and by your words
you will be condemned (Matthew 12:37). We settle our destinies by
the words that we speak. James said the tongue is like the rudder on
a ship; even though it is a small part of the ship, it determines exactly
where the ship will go. (See James 3:4.) We determine the course of
our lives by the way in which we use our tongues. We can say the right
thing and make the words of our mouths agree with the Word of God,
or we can say the wrong thing and cause our lives to go off course.
We will either come safely to harbor or end in shipwreck according to
how we use our tongues.
proclaim that I overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by
the word of my testimony. I shall hold fast my confession. Amen.
How to Apply the Blood (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
October 25
Our Advocate
esus is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1). Our confession enlists Jesus as our High Priest, but the opposite, unfortunately, is also true. If we make no confession, we have no High Priest.
Its not that Jesus has ceased to be our High Priest, but that we give
Him no opportunity to minister as our High Priest.
He is the High Priest of our confession. If we say the right things
with our mouths in faith, according to Scripture, then Jesus has eternally obligated Himself to see that we will never be put to shame
that we will always experience what we confess. But if we do not say
the right things, then, alas, we silence the lips of our High Priest. He
has nothing to say in heaven on our behalf.
Jesus is also called our Advocate (1 John 2:1). The word advocate
is similar to the modern word attorney. Jesus is the legal expert who
is there to plead our case in heaven. He has never lost a case. But if we
do not make a confession, He has no case to plead, so the case goes
against us by default.
We can see how important confession is; therefore, it is very
important that we give heed to this third Let us passage in Hebrews:
Let us hold fast our confession (Hebrews 4:14). This principle of right
confession has a central place in the gospel, as well as in our experience of salvation. In fact, there is no salvation without right confession.
proclaim that as I speak in faith with my mouth according to Scripture,
Jesus has eternally obligated Himself that I will experience what I
confess. I shall hold fast my confession. Amen.
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October 26
The Heart and the Mouth

n the tenth chapter of Romans, Paul explained as clearly as anywhere

in the New Testament what is required for salvation. He began,
The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that
is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God
has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

(Romans 10:89)
The basis for salvation is the Word, and it has to be appropriated

by faith. Then, there are two things we must doone with the heart,
one with the mouth. We have to believe with the heart, but we have
to confess, or say it out, with the mouth. Paul went on,
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(Romans 10:10)
You see? No confession, no salvation. It is good to believe in the
heart, but belief alone is not sufficient. We must not only believe in
our hearts, but we must also say it out boldly with our mouths, making the words of our mouths agree with the Word of God. Our initial
confession relates us to Jesus as High Priest, but His ongoing ministry on our behalf as High Priest depends on our ongoing confession.
proclaim that I both believe in my heart and confess with my mouth
the promises of God for me. I shall hold fast my confession. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
October 27
The Fruit of Our Words

he entire Bible shows that our words determine our destinies. As

we read in Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the power of the
tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (nasb). The tongue is
either going to produce death in our lives, if we make a wrong confession, or life, if we make a right confession. Whatever we say with our
tongues, we are going to eat the resultant fruit. That truth was echoed
by the words of Jesus when He said, And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of
judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you
shall be condemned (Matthew 12:3637 nasb).
Christians often say silly things that are not honoring to God,
and then excuse themselves by saying, I didnt really mean it. But
Jesus said, Every careless word. It is not an excuse to say that you
didnt really mean something. We must hold fast our confession.
Ultimately, there are only two alternatives in our relationship to
Christ and the Scripture: to confess or to deny. Again, Jesus said,
Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also
confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall
deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is
in heaven.
(Matthew 10:3233 nasb)
Those are the two alternatives given to us. There is no third
alternative. In spiritual things, in the long run, there is no neutrality. Jesus said, He who is not with Me is against Me (Matthew 12:30).
We either we make the right confession to salvation, or we make the
wrong confession, which will not produce salvation.
proclaim that I confess before men that Jesus is my Lord, and He
confesses me before our Father, who is in heaven. I shall hold fast my
confession. Amen.
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October 28
No Matter What Pressures Come

hen the Bible says to hold fast your confession (see Hebrews
4:14), it is really issuing a warning that we will be subjected
to pressures that might cause us to back off what we have said. But
we should not back off. We should hold fast our confession, what we
profess.
First, we make the right confession, making the words of our
mouths agree with the words of Scripture. We articulate what Jesus
has done for us, exactly as the Word of God says. For instance, By His
stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). He became poor, that [we]might
become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He tasted death that we might have
life. (See Hebrews 2:9.) He took the curse that we might receive the
blessing. (See Galatians 3:1314.) Those are the right confessions.
We make them, and then, no matter what pressures come against us,
no matter how much things may seem to go the wrong way, we hold
fast our confession. That is what makes our faith effective, and that
is what releases the high priestly ministry of Jesus in heaven on our
behalf.
Faith relates us to that which our senses cannot perceive. As
long as we are slaves of our senses, we really cannot move in faith.
Paul said this clearly in 2 Corinthians 5:7: For we walk by faith, not
by sight. In other words, what we do, and the way in which we live as
Christians, is based on faithon what we believe, not on what we see
or know from our senses. Our senses may tell us one thing, and our
faith anotherthat is when conflict comes. That is why the writer of
Hebrews says to make your confession and then to hold it fast. Even if
our senses tell us it is not so, if Gods Word says it is so, it is so.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are the High Priest of our confession.
I proclaim that I will make right confessions without backing off, no
matter what pressures come. I shall hold fast my confession. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 44:
Let us draw near to the throne of grace.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in
time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
October 29
An Invitation from God

his is the fourth Let us statement in Hebrews. I believe the

fourth step is directly related to the first three steps, and that the
sequence is significant. In order to be able to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, we need to make sure that we have taken
the first three steps.
The first step is to fear: Let us fear (Hebrews 4:1). Fearing means
that we come with an attitude of reverence and an awareness of our
need of Gods grace. Second, Let usbe diligent (Hebrews 4:11). This
is our response to Gods grace: we are not slack, lazy, indifferent, or
presumptuous. Gods grace does not justify our indifference or presumption; rather, it provokes us to be diligent. The third step is: Let
us hold fast our confession (Hebrews 4:14). We must have the right confession; we have to say with our mouths the truth about Jesus and
what He has done for us.
In regard to our approaching the throne of grace, we are told to
come for two things: mercy and grace. My conviction is that if God
invites us to come, and if we meet the conditions I have outlined, then
mercy and grace await us. We never need to be afraid; we will never be
disappointed. God would never give an invitation that He would not
stand behind and fulfill. If we come as Gods children, we do not come
as beggars. God has no second-class children. He never holds us at a
distance if we have met the conditions for approach. It is very important that we come with confidence. That is faith in action. It is faith
that will not be denied. It is faith that takes God at His Word and
believes that God is as good as His Word. It is faith in Gods faithfulness. That is how we are to approach the thronewith confidence.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I proclaim that
because God invites me to come to His throne, and because I meet
the required conditions, I come with the confidence that mercy and
grace are waiting for me. I shall draw near to the throne of grace.
Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
October 30
Throwing Off Condemnation

t is important that we approach God without condemnation; in

other words, boldly, because, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear (Psalm 66:18).
If I regard iniquity in my heart, it means that I come to God with
a consciousness in my heart of something that condemns me. Every
time I try to approach God with faith, Satan reminds me of something that is not right and that has not been dealt withmaybe a
sin that has not been confessed, or, if it has been confessed, is still
lingering because I have not claimed and received Gods forgiveness. I
am therefore conscious of this thing in my heart all the time. And if I
come with condemnation, I do not receive that for which I pray.
I must remove the consciousness of sin from within my heart.
Basically, this is done by faith. If we confess our sins, the Scripture
says, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We cannot do anything about
the sin problem except confess, repent, and trust God for the forgiveness and cleansing that He has promised us. After that, we must not
go on worrying about our sins, because if we remain conscious of sin
as we pray, God will not hear our prayers. As the Scripture says, If I
regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
Yet the psalmist went on to say, But certainly God has heard
me (Psalm 66:19). In other words, the psalmist rises above Satans
attempt to condemn him and says, God has heard me. Why does
God hear us? Because we come in the name of Jesus. Because we come
with praise and thanksgiving. Therefore, we are not condemned.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I proclaim that I
throw off Satans attempt to condemn me, declaring that God has
heard me, because I come in the name of Jesus. I shall draw near to
the throne of grace. Amen.
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October 31
Eliminating Every Hindrance

he Bible says, If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart,
and knows all things (1 John 3:20). We need not keep anything from
God. We have to be open and honest with Himsincerely confessing every transgression, sinful thought, and shortcoming. But then,
when all has been confessed, we need to accept complete forgiveness
and complete cleansing, for we know that God will never remember
our sins or hold them against us anymore. Then, we can come to Him
without condemnation.
Speaking about prayer, Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:8, I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath
and doubting. We must get rid of the dark inner emotions and attitudes that hinder our access to God. We must get rid of wrath and
doubting. The Bible says that if we doubt, we are condemned. (See
Romans 14:23.) You see, we cannot come with condemnation into the
presence of God. The Bible says,
He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the
wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything
from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his
ways.
(James 1:68)
We must dismiss the whole question of guilt, along with every
negative or wrong attitude concerning ourselves and other people. We
must come boldly. As Hebrews 4:16 says, Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need. Remember, it is a throne of grace that we approach,
and grace is enthroned with God. It is not justice we come to God for;
rather, it is grace.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I proclaim that I rid
myself of condemnation and of every other hindrance to come boldly
to the throne of grace. I shall draw near to the throne of grace. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 1
Come Boldly
e come boldly to the throne of God because it is a throne of

grace. We do not come on the basis of our merit, but we come in
the name of Jesus, with praise and thanksgiving, without condemnation. We come boldly because God has bid us to come. The author of
Hebrews wrote, We have confidence [boldness nkjv] to enter the Most
Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19 niv).
When we pray to God, we should never approach Him with condemnation. Condemnation is one of the greatest enemies to answered
prayer. And the basic source of condemnation is a search for selfrighteousness. If we feel that we must justify ourselves, we will never
do it to our own satisfaction. There must come a time when we lay
aside every attempt to justify ourselves and simply say, I receive by
faith the righteousness of Jesus Christ, imputed to me by my faith
in Him, according to the Word of God. I will neither parade my good
works nor blush for my bad deeds. I will come boldly because it is a
throne of grace. I will not examine or analyze my own heart all the
time to determine if I am good enough. I will trust God that the blood
of Jesus has cleansed me from all sin. And I will come boldly to the
throne, right into the Holiest of All. That is a glorious way of access.
Let us draw near with a true heart, the Scripture says, in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
(Hebrews 10:22). An evil conscience will keep us from successful
prayer. We must allow the blood of Jesus to be applied to our hearts
and receive with complete assurance the fact that we are forgiven
cleansed because of what Jesus has doneand then come boldly into
the presence of almighty God.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I proclaim that the
blood of Jesus has cleansed me from all sin, and I come boldly to the
throne, right into the holiest of all. I shall draw near to the throne of
grace. Amen.
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November 2
Watching Our Motives

e come near to the throne of grace to petition God for specific

needs. Let us look at an important conditionour motives.
God searches every motive; He is very conscious of the reasons for
which we pray. James 4:2 says, You do not have because you do not ask.
The main reason that Christians do not have is a simple failure to ask.
But then, James said in verse 3, You ask and do not receive, because you
ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. In other words, selfcentered prayers indicate that our motives are wrong. We are simply
aiming to get some creature comfort, personal satisfaction, or indulgence.
What is the correct motive? Jesus has already stated it: That the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will
do it (John 14:1314).
That is the motive behind the prayers that God answers. The
prayer must be prayed sincerely so that God, in answering that prayer,
may be glorified through Jesus Christ. As Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 1:20, For all the promises of God in Him [Jesus Christ] are Yes,
and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
The whole purpose of coming to God and claiming His promises
is so that God may be glorified through us in answering them. As we
claim more and more of Gods promises, we glorify Him more and
more. The more we fail to claim Gods promises, however, the less we
glorify Him. The person who glorifies God most is the person who
claims Gods promises in Christ the most.
The motive that is acceptable to God is one that seeks answers to
prayer so that He might be glorified. These prayers must be offered in
the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I proclaim that my
motive in praying is that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in
answering my prayers. I shall draw near to the throne of grace. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 3
According to His Lovingkindness

salm 51 is a prayer that David prayed during a time of deep distress, when his soul was hanging in the balance. It was a prayer of
repentance after his sinscommitting adultery with Bathsheba and
arranging the murder of her husband, Uriahhad been uncovered.
David wrote, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1).
According to Your lovingkindness is another way of saying Your
covenant-keeping faithfulness. David was saying, in effect, You have
committed Yourself to forgive me if I meet the necessary conditions,
and I appeal to You on that basis. How important it is to approach
God on that basis.
Psalm 106:1 says, Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good! For His mercy [lovingkindness, faithfulness to His covenant] endures forever. Mercy is an aspect of Gods eternal nature.
Hebrews 4:16 says, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
First, we need mercy, but we also need grace. What does the Bible
say about grace? Grace cannot be earned. If you can earn it, it is not
grace. Religious people often think that they have to earn everything.
Consequently, they tend to turn down the grace of God. As Paul
wrote, If by grace, then it is no longer of works.But if it is of works, it is
no longer grace (Romans 11:6). Two things are mentioned in Hebrews
4:16 that we cannot earn. We cannot earn mercy, and we cannot earn
grace. We need mercy for the past and grace for the future. It is by
Gods grace alone that we can become the kind of people, and live the
kind of lives, that He requires of us.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I proclaim that I
come according to Gods lovingkindness to receive mercy for my
past and grace for my future. I shall draw near to the throne of grace.
Amen.
What Is Holiness?, Vol. 1 Holiness: The Essence of God (audio)
November
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November 4
By His Righteousness
t is important to remember that it is neither our righteousness nor

our faithfulness that forms the basis for our confidence in approaching Gods throne. Rather, it is Gods righteousness and Gods faithfulness. The first epistle of John expresses this thought: Beloved, if our
heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever
we ask we receive from Him (1 John 3:2122).
Any attitude that thinks we have some kind of righteousness or
claim in ourselves to approach God results in our approaching Him
without full confidence because there is ultimately nothing in ourselves. We have no righteousness of our own. Our confidence cannot
be based in ourselves.
We must also come to the place where we do not allow our hearts
to condemn uswhere we are trusting not in our own righteousness
or our own wisdom but in Gods faithfulness. And that produces confidence. Paul said, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). In the remainder of that chapter,
Paul painted the most glorious picture of a life that is filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, enumerating all the blessings, privileges,
and benefits of that life. But the entry into that chapterand into
that kind of lifeis presented in that first verse above. We must lay
aside all condemnation.
One requirement for a right approach to God is coming in the
name of Jesus. When we come in Jesus name, we have assurance that
our prayers are heard because of Him. It takes our attention off our
own lives and works. When we come in the name of Jesus, we believe
that our sins have been forgiven and that we are accepted by God as
His children. This pleases God. It is how He wants us to come.
Thank You, Lord, that I can come boldly to You. I come to the
throne of God in the name of Jesus, believing that my sins have been
forgiven and that I am accepted by God as His child. I shall draw
near to the throne of grace. Amen.
How to Pray and Get What You Pray For, Part 2 (audio)
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Week 45:
Let us press on to maturity.
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary
principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not
laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works and of faith toward God.
Hebrews 6:1
November 5
An Ongoing Path
e have looked so far at four Let us statements in the book of

Hebrews. Now, we turn to the fifth such statementone that
could be a new resolution for us. Hebrews 6:1 reads, Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity
(nasb). Many Christians have the impression that in the Christian
life, you can somehow arrive, reaching a point where you can settle down and say, Now, Im there. But that is not true. To remain
static in the mature spiritual life is almost impossible. As Proverbs
4:18 says, The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines
brighter and brighter until the full day (nasb). The phrase the path of
the righteous is not speaking about a specific believer or group of
believers but about each and every righteous person.
Notice that righteousness is a path. It is not designed for standing still, much less for sitting down. As a path, righteousness implies
motion, progress, and development. This path is like the light of dawn
when we first come to know the Lord in His glorious fullness as Savior
and Lord. It is like the sun rising after the darkness, or like a dawn
that comes to our hearts. But dawn is not the end of Gods purposes;
it is just the beginning.
When we are walking in the path of righteousness, the light
should always be getting brighter. With every step, with each new
day, the light should be brighter than it was before. Until the full day:
that is our destination, the height of noonday.
God is not content for us to stop at anything less than the full
brightness of the noonday sun. Dawn is our beginning point, the path
is the way of progress, and the light gets brighter and brighter. But
there is no stopping permitted until we reach the full day.
Thank You, Lord, that You are leading me onward. I proclaim that
righteousness is a path, and God expects motion, progress, and
development on my part. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 6
Advancing to Maturity
his particular Let us is very appropriate to the New Testament

Hebrew people because they had failed to live in accordance with
it. They had trusted their special privileges and rested in them. They
had become, quite frankly, lazy; they simply took things for granted.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because
you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be
teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of
Gods word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone
who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the
teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature,
who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good
from evil.
(Hebrews 5:1114 niv)
What the writer was saying therebluntlyis that the Hebrews
were mere spiritual infants. They had no right to be infants at that
stage in their Christian progress. They had had so many opportunities
over many years that by then, they should have advanced to maturity. The writer of Hebrews also explained the only way to advance
to maturity. We must train ourselves to distinguish good from evil.
Advancing to maturity on the path of righteousness comes in practice
by training ourselves constantly. It does not happen automatically; it
requires discipline. That is why one of the earlier steps was Let us be
diligent. We must train ourselves to distinguish good from evil.
Many times, even large Christian congregations are unable to
distinguish what is spiritual and scriptural from that which is just a
fleshly presentation with soulish appeal. The only remedy is to train
ourselves by constant use and careful practice.
I do not trust in special privileges or rest in them, but I am training
myself to advance to maturity. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.
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November 7
Being Built Up
od has made a special provision for attaining spiritual maturity, which Paul recorded in Ephesians 4:11: It was he [the risen
Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers (niv). Five main ministries
are mentioned in this verse: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors,
and teachers. The following verses tell us their purposes:
To prepare Gods people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in
the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (verses 1213 niv)
This passage spells out two purposes for these various ministries.
The first is to prepare us for works of service. We cannot automatically do the work that we are expected to do; we must be prepared, or
trained. These five ministries are there to train us.
The second purpose is to build up the body of Christ. These ministries are placed within the body of Christ in order to bring us into a
unity of faith and maturity. Jesus Christ, as Head of the church, has
provided these ministries, and I believe that Gods people will never
attain maturity without them. Paul continued, From him [Christ] the
whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows
and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (verse 16 niv).
The ultimate goal is not a lot of separated, isolated individuals,
each one doing his own thing. Rather, the goal is a single body, held
together by ligamentsstrong bands that hold the various parts
together, building up the body so that it can grow. It is essential that
each part of the body does its work.
Gods goal is to prepare His people for works of service as each part
of the body does its work. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.
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November 8
Gods Program for Maturity

n Gods program, there are two main requirements for coming to

maturity. First, we must come under the discipline of the God-given
ministries Paul listed in Ephesians 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Without their discipline, oversight, and
instruction, I do not see how Gods people can ever attain to maturity. Jesus Christ never made a provision that was not important, and
this one is no exception. I believe it is essential. The second condition
is that we must not remain isolated individuals; rather, we must be
part of a growing body of believers.
Then, in that same passage, Paul stated a sobering alternative.
If we do not follow Gods program for maturity, this will be the consequence: Then we willbe infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,
and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and
craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14 niv).
If we do not come under this fivefold ministryif we do not
become part of a body and accept this scriptural disciplinethen,
according to Paul, we will remain infants. We will be tossed back and
forth, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the
cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. I know many,
many believers who match this description. Every year, they have a
new fad, a new doctrine, and often a new teacher to provide and perpetuate the fad. We must come under the discipline of godly, Scripture-based ministries. We also must be part of a body of believers.
That is the only way to maturity.
How about you? Are you under discipline? Are you part of a body?
Are you advancing to maturity?
Thank You, Lord, that You are leading me onward. I proclaim that I
am coming under discipline to be part of a growing body, because I
want to advance to maturity. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.
November
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November 9
Doing the Fathers Will

n Ephesians 1:5, Paul said of all believers that God has predestined
us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. He further described
Gods purpose for His children in Romans 8:29: For whom He [God]
foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He [Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brethren. Thus, Jesus
is the pattern Son, the One to whom we must all conform in coming
to maturity. He Himself is the new and living way by which we go on
to perfection, enter the holiest, and draw near to God. (See Hebrews
6:1; 10:1922.) The way that led Jesus to perfection is the same way
that each of us must follow.
The path to maturity was no easier for Jesus than it is for us. He
was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). In
His human nature, Jesus experienced every form of temptation we
experience, and yet He never sinned. It is no sin to be tempted! Sin
comes only when we yield to temptation.
What was it that enabled Jesus, in spite of His true humanity,
to overcome all temptation? His success lay in His single-hearted,
unchanging motivation to do the Fathers will. This fact was prophetically foreshown by David in Psalm 40:78: Then I said, Behold, I come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my
God.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly disclosed this
underlying motive for all He did. He could never know final satisfaction until He had finished every task His Father had assigned. Near
Jacobs well, He told His disciples, My food [that which upholds and
strengthens Me] is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His
work (John 4:34). (See also John 5:30; 6:38.)
Thank You, Lord, that You are leading me onward. I proclaim that I
conform to Jesus in coming to maturity, doing the will of God and
finishing His work. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.
Behold the Man (New Wine article)
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November 10
Denial of Self-will
he distinctive function of an Old Testament priest was to offer sacrifice. Thus, being a priest, Jesus had to offer sacrifice. Since He
was not a Levite, He could not offer the sacrifices of the law, so He
offered His own specific priestly sacrifice, which was prayer.
He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement
cries and tears to Him [God the Father] who was able to save
Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though
He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He
suffered.
(Hebrews 5:78)
Jesus reverent obedience caused the Father to hear His prayers.
He learned obedience through suffering. Jesus had to learn obedience,
and we have to learn obedience in the same way. We find out what
obedience is by obeying. We do not find it out by listening to sermons
on obedience. Those may help us, but obedience has to be worked
out, step-by-step, by obeying. Obedience brings suffering because it
demands denial of ones self-will. The key phrase in the obedience of
Jesus was, Not My will, but Yours, be done (Luke 22:42). Every step of
obedience in the Christian life is one of self-denial. Jesus said, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself (Matthew 16:24). That
is painful, for the old ego does not like to be denied. Ego says, I want,
Im important, This suits me, I feel good, I dont want, and the
like. Following the Lord requires a continual denial of that ego.
In the above passage from Hebrews, God was talking to us about
coming into maturity as sons through obedience. Jesus is the pattern. God brought Him to maturity through obedience. This is the
pathway for you and me, too. This is the new and living way.
following the Lord requires a continual denial of my ego, and I choose
to follow Jesus pattern in meeting this requirement. I shall press on to
maturity. Amen.
Seven Pictures of Gods People: The Temple and the Family of God (audio)
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November 11
Our Spiritual Objective

Let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the
dead, and of eternal judgment.
(Hebrews 6:12)
e seek to go on to perfection. Unfortunately, as I previously

noted, the word perfection has an unattractive sound for most
Christians because of some doctrine of sinless perfection that theyve
been exposed to. In most cases, those who claim to have achieved perfection demonstrate just the opposite by their words, behavior, and
lifestyles. This hypocritical attitude has turned people away from the
pursuit of perfection.
I would like to remind you of three alternative translations of
the word perfection that make better sense: maturity, fulfillment,
and completion. The Greek word translated perfection comes from a
noun that means end. Therefore, it suggests a goal or objective toward
which we are moving. I think we would all agree that having a spiritual
objective is desirable. Having entered into the way of righteousness by
faith, we can go on, or we can go back. God will have no pleasure in
anyone who turns back, so we belong to those who are moving on into
the full salvation of their souls. (See Hebrews 10:3839.)
There are two things: the actual and the ideal. To be mature is
to see the ideal and live with the actual. To fail is to accept the actual
and reject the ideal; and to accept only that which is ideal and refuse
the actual is to be immature. Do not criticize the actual because you
have seen the ideal; Do not reject the ideal because you see the actual.
Maturity is to live with the actual but hold on to the ideal.
I belong to those who are moving on into the full salvation of my
soulthe goal of maturity, fulfillment, completion. I shall press on to
maturity. Amen.
The Way into the Holiest, Vol. 1: A Call to Perfection: Let Us Go On to Perfection (audio)
The Actual and the Ideal (New Wine article)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 46:
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to
enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to
cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our
bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19, 22 (niv)
November 12
Taking Our Place with Christ

e can contrast this confession with another Let us phrase

found in the book of Hebrews: Let uscome boldly to the throne
of grace (Hebrews 4:16). This one says, in essence, Let us draw near to
God. We need to understand it in its context. It is directly related to
the statement in Hebrews 10:
Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place, let us
draw near to God.
(Hebrews 10:19, 22 niv)
To me, this passage clearly says that drawing near to God is
equivalent to entering the Most Holy Place.
Lets compare these two statements. Let us come boldly to the
throne means that we are to come for the help we needfor mercy
and grace. But, Let us draw near to God, I think, takes us much
further. The suggestion is not merely that we come to the throne for
help, but also that we are invited to take our place with Christ on the
throne. That is what it means to enter the Most Holy Place.
There is not enough space to give a detailed exposition of the tabernacle, but there were three main areas. First, there was the Outer
Court. Then, beyond the first curtain of the tent was the Holy Place.
And finally, beyond the second curtain was the Most Holy Place. The
language in Hebrews is based on the pattern of the tabernacle.
Our destination is the Most Holy Place, beyond the second curtain or veil.
Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus.
I proclaim that I take my place with Christ on the throne. I shall draw
near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 13
By a New and Living Way

he only furniture in the Most Holy Place, as it was designed by God,

was the ark of the covenant, which was a box made of acacia wood
and covered with gold. Its lid was called the mercy seat, or the place of
propitiation. Inside were the two tablets of the Ten Commandments,
but these were covered up by the mercy seat, indicating that through
Christs propitiation on our behalf, the broken law (the Ten Commandments that were broken) has been covered by His propitiation.
On either end of the mercy seat was a cherub. The two cherubs faced
one another, looking toward the center of the mercy seat with their
wings stretched out over them and their wing tips touching over the
center of the mercy seat.
The mercy seat was Gods throneHe sits on a throne of mercy
that covers the broken law. The two cherubs with their faces turned
inward toward one another, their wing tips touching, represent the
place of fellowship. So, this is a place of mercy and a place of fellowshipbut it is also a throne, the seat of God as King.
In that piece of furniture there was no representation of God
Himself, which was forbidden for the Israelites. But God did come in
and take His place on that seat in the form of the shekinah glorythe
visible, sensory presence of almighty God. The Most Holy Place was in
total darkness; it had no natural or artificial illumination. But when
the shekinah presence of God came in, then God was taking His place
on the throne.
In Hebrews 10 we are invited into the Most Holy Place to draw
near to God (verse 22 niv). We are invited to take our place with
Christ on the throne. We are to come by a new and living way (verse
20 niv). This new and living way is Jesus.
I proclaim that I come to the Most Holy Place by Jesus, the new
and living way. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.
November
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November 14
Four Requirements
ccording to Hebrews 10:22, one must fulfill four requirements

in order to approach the mercy seat and the throne in the Most
Holy Place. First, one must have a sincere heart; second, one must
have a full assurance of faith; third, ones heart must be sprinkled to
cleanse [him] from a guilty conscience; and, fourth, ones body must be
washed with pure water (niv). Lets look very briefly at each of these.
A sincere heart: We approach God with our hearts, not with our
heads. God is not the answer to an intellectual riddle, but He will meet
a sincere, longing heart. We must come without pretense, exposing
ourselves to God just as we are without hiding anything.
Full assurance of faith: Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is
impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe. We
must come with absolute faith in Gods faithfulnessnot faith in our
own abilities or righteousness.
Our hearts sprinkled from a guilty conscience: A guilty conscience
results from committing wrong, sinful deeds. But through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, we have assurance that our evil deeds
have been forgiven and that our hearts are pure from sin.
Our bodies washed with pure water: First John 5:6 says that Jesus
came by water and by blood. In Hebrews 10:22, we see both these elements: the blood that sprinkles from an evil conscience and the water
that washes our bodies. I believe that the water represents Christian
baptism. In the New Testament, Christian baptism means sharing in
the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, the new and
living way mentioned in Hebrews 10:20 is Jesus. We are to identify
with all that He endured when He died for our sins and rose again.
I proclaim that I come with a sincere heart, full assurance of faith, a
heart sprinkled from a guilty conscience, and my body washed with
pure water. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 15
Identifying with Jesus

aul wrote to the church at Ephesus (and to us, as well),

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with
him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Notice these three stages of identification with Jesus. First, we

are made alive; second, we are raised up, or resurrected; and, third,
we are seated with Him. Jesus is seated on the throne. So, what does
it mean for us to be seated with Him? It means to be enthroned, to
share the throne with Him.
Once we understand our identification with Jesus, we are invited
to follow Him all the way. He is the new and living way (Hebrews
10:20). We can be made alive with Him, we can be resurrected with
Him. But we need not stop there. We can be enthroned with Him.
Using the pattern of the tabernacle, I believe that the first curtain represents our sharing in the resurrection of Jesus. The second
curtain that leads to the Most Holy Place represents what we enter
through sharing in the ascension of Jesus. Jesus was not merely resurrected, but, subsequently, He also was raised up to heaven, to the
throne. And that is where God wants us. God does not want us to stop
short in this new and living way until we have reached the Most Holy
Place, where we are sharing the throne with Jesusseated with Him
in heavenly places. That is our destination.
Lets make it our resolution not to stop short of the place where
God wants us to come.
I proclaim that I will not stop short of the place where God wants me
to come. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.
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November 16
Seven Times
he Old Testament previews how Jesus was to pay the price and
make the final sacrifice. This preview is found in the ordinance of
the Day of Atonement, described in detail in Leviticus 16. The high
priest was to go just once each year into the Most Holy Place, the Holy
of Holies. He had to take two things: a censer filled with incense,
which made an aromatic cloud that covered him and the mercy seat,
and the blood of the sacrifice, offered on his own behalf.
Going thusly into the Most Holy Place, he had to sprinkle the
blood seven times between the second veil, where he entered, and the
front (or east) side of the mercy seat itself. So, there was an initial
sprinkling of the blood seven times. I believe that this was an exact
prophetic preview of how Jesus was to sprinkle His own blood on the
way to the cross, as well as on the cross itself. The number seven indicates the work of the Holy Spiritit is the number of completeness,
or perfection, indicating a perfect work. The prophetic sprinkling was
exactly fulfilled in the way that Jesus shed His blood: He shed His
blood precisely seven times before the sacrifice was complete.
In that sevenfold shedding, Jesus body was emptied of blood.
He literally poured out His soul to death in these steps: (1) His sweat
became blood (see, for example, Luke 22:44), (2) they struck Him in
the face with fists and rods (see, for example, Luke 22:6364), (3) they
flogged Him with a Roman scourge (see, for example, Luke 18:33), (4)
His beard was pulled out (see Isaiah 50:6), (5) thorns were pressed
into His scalp (see, for example, Matthew 27:29), (6) His hands and
feet were pierced with nails (see, for example, John 20:25), and (7)
His side was pierced with a spear (see John 19:34).
I proclaim that by sprinkling His blood seven times, Jesus made the
sacrifice complete. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 4: How to Appropriate the Blood (audio)
Extravagant Love (audio, booklet)
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Declaring Gods Word
November 17
Life in the Blood

n the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus contains the ordinances

for Israels Aaronic priesthood. The Lord said, For the life of the flesh
is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul
(Leviticus 17:11).
That is a tremendous prophetic statement that was fulfilled fourteen centuries later in Jesus. The word that is translated life is the
Hebrew word for soul (nephesh). It is not just the life of a human being
that is in the blood, but it is also the soul. We all know that when
the blood ceases to circulate, the life has gone. In a certain sense, life
depends on the blood.
In the previous chapter of Leviticus, in the ordinances for the
Day of Atonement, Moses told his brother, Aaron, the high priest,
that he could go only once every year into the Most Holy Place, into
the immediate presence of God. He had to enter holding in one hand
a censer full of burning coals with incense on them to send up a cloud
of fragrant smoke; in the other hand he had to hold the blood of the
sin offering that had been slain in front of the tabernacle. If he did
not have both the censer of fragrant incense and the blood of the sacrificial animal, death would be the consequence. There was no access
to the presence of God without those two things.
The censer, with its fragrant incense, is a beautiful type that
symbolizes worship. We never come into the immediate presence of
God without worship. But we never come without blood, either, which
speaks of atonement for our sins. These pictures in the Old Testament
were prophetic typespreviews of what would actually be fulfilled in
the New Testament.
I proclaim that I come into the immediate presence of God with
worship and the blood of atonement. I shall draw near to the Most
Holy Place. Amen.
The Life-giver (audio)
November
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November 18
The Lifeblood of Jesus

hen the priest entered the Most Holy Place with the incense
and the blood, he had to sprinkle the blood seven times on the
mercy seat, which was a picture of the atonement, and seven times in
front of the mercy seat. Gods ordinance was absolutely specificnot
six times, not eight times, but seven times. Then, in Isaiah, we find
a prophetic picture of the suffering of Jesusthe clearest picture in
the Old Testament of Jesus suffering for our sins.
Therefore I [the Lord] will divide Him [Jesus] a portion with
the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because
He poured out His soul unto death.
(Isaiah 53:12)
It is important for us to understand that the word in Isaiah 53:12
that is translated as soul is the same word that appears in Leviticus 17:11 and is translated as life: The life [soul] of the flesh [every
human being] is in the blood. When Jesus made atonement for our
sins, He poured out His soul in His blood. His blood is the most precious blood in the universe because in that blood is the soul life of
God, the Creator.
There is more power in one drop of the blood of Jesus than in all
parts of the kingdom of Satan put together. The lifeblood of Jesus is
the life of God the Creatora life that is greater than the entire universe and all the creatures He ever created. That life is released only
through the blood of Jesus. He became the Life-giver when He shed
His blood. We should never turn away from the blood of Jesus. There
is no other atonement for sin, and no other source of life. One of our
big problems, brothers and sisters, is not meditating enough on the
blood.
I proclaim that life is released only through the blood of Jesusthe
only source of life. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.
The Life-giver (audio)
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Week 47:
Let us hold fast our confession
without wavering.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
November 19
The Importance of Hope

Let us hold fast our confession without wavering.
ost Christians have heard much preaching about faith and love,
but, in many cases, they have heard comparatively little about
hope. Such was my own condition many years ago when I was in desperate need of help from God. I had heard many messages on faith and
some preaching on love; but what I needed in that particular situation
was hope, and the Holy Spirit had to take me directly to the Scripture
because I had never heard a sermon about hope. It was there that the
Holy Spirit met my need. For this reason, I am particularly concerned
that people understand the importance of hope. I want you to grasp
what hope is, how important it is, and how you may have it.
Hope is necessary if we are to maintain both faith and love.
Unless we have hope, our faith will leak out and our love will fail.
Hope is not optional; it is essential to the fullness of the Christian
life.
People often say, Where theres life, theres hope. I think there
is a good deal of truth in that statement. But the opposite is also true:
Where theres hope, theres lifeand where there is no hope, there is
no life. In my opinion, hopelessness is one of the saddest conditions in
human experience. I can hardly think of anything sadder than being
hopeless. Yet, countless people in our world today are completely
hopeless. When I am sitting in an airport, taking a walk, or dining in
a restaurant, and I look at the faces of other people, I find that many
of them have a blank stare of hopelessness. But, thank God, we do not
need to be hopeless.
Thank You, Lord, that You are faithfulYou give me hope. I proclaim
that where there is hope, there is life. I shall hold fast my confession
without wavering. Amen.
Hope, Part 1 (audio)
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November 20
Without Wavering
n Hebrews 3:1, we are admonished to make the right confession.

Then, in Hebrews 4:14, we are told to hold fast our confession. When
the Bible calls Jesus our High Priest, we immediately know that it is
our confession that enlists His ministry on our behalf.
In holding fast our confession, we must not change what we have
said. We must make the words of our mouths agree with what the
Word of God says. In Hebrews 10:23, the step that we are now considering, it says, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Notice what has been added: without wavering.
If we look through these passages of Hebrews in the order in
which they appear, we find that, in respect to our confession, there
are three successive stages. First, we make the confession; second,
having made it, we hold it fast without changing it; and, third, we
hold it fast without wavering.
Why was without wavering put in? To me, on the basis of logic
and personal experience, it implies that when we make the right confession, we are going to encounter negative forces and pressures that
will come against us. Even though we have made the right confession and we are holding it fast, there may come a time when it seems
like all the forces of Satan and the powers of darkness are turned
loose against us. The temptation is to let go of our confession. But the
writer said, Dont let go! Hold fastwithout wavering. The darker
the situation and the greater the problem, the more important it is to
hold fast without wavering.
God is faithful. He is committed to His Word. Jesus is our High
Priest. If we will only hold fast our confession without wavering, He
will do His job as our High Priest.
that I make my confession, do not change it, and hold it fast without
wavering. I shall hold fast my confession without wavering. Amen.
November
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November 21
A Realm That Does Not Change

here is a disconnect between faith and sight. The natural man

walks by sight, trusting his senses and believing only what they
tell him. But in the Christian life, the spiritual life, we should not
trust our senses. Second Corinthians 5:7 tells us, For we walk by faith,
not by sight. We walk not by our senses, but by faith. Faith relates
us to an unseen, eternal realm that never changes. The world of the
senses is always changingit is temporary, unstable, impermanent,
and unreliable. Through faith, we relate to a different worlda world
of eternal realities and eternal truths. As we relate to that world by
faith, we hold fast our confession without wavering.
How we respond to the pressures God permits in our lives determines whether we trust our senses or our faith. If we change our confession because of the darkness, then we are going by our senses, for
in faith there is no darkness. Faith does not rely on the senses; it sees
with an inner spiritual eye into a realm that does not change and it
trusts a High Priest who is unchangeable. Here is what James said
about this issue:
But when he [the believer] asks, he must believe and not doubt,
because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed
by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything
from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he
does.
(James 1:68 niv)
This passage describes the man who wavers. He started out ready
to askbelieving, not doubtingbut he did not hold fast without
wavering. As a result, he is tossed to and fro, thrown about by the
winds and waves. The remedy is to hold fast our confession without
wavering.
Thank You, Lord, that You are faithfulYou give me hope. I

proclaim that I walk not by my senses, but by faith. I shall hold fast
my confession without wavering. Amen.
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November 22
Being Fully Persuaded

n connection with this principle of making the right confession and

holding it fast without wavering, I want to look at the example of
Abraham, as Paul portrayed him. Abraham is one of the best examples of someone who held fast without wavering. As Paul wrote,
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body
was as good as deadsince he was about a hundred years old
and that Sarahs womb was also dead.
(Romans 4:19 niv)
Real faith faces facts. Any attitude that is not willing to look at the
facts is not real faith. Abraham did not try to deceive himself; he did
not imagine something differently from how it was. With his senses,
he saw that his body was as good as dead, as was the womb of his wife,
Sarah. But he did not trust solely in his senses. Paul continued,
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of
God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had
promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness.

(Romans 4:2022 niv)
Abraham is called the father of all those who believe (Romans
4:11), and we are exhorted to follow in the steps of Abrahams faith.
(See verse 12.) We are required to walk that same path of faith. We are
required to lay hold of the promise of God, to make our confession, to
hold fast our confession without wavering, to refuse to be deterred by
what our senses reveal, and to look beyond the seen things, peering
into the unseen realm to see, by faith, our faithful High Priest, there
at Gods right hand.
that I face the facts without wavering in unbelief. I shall hold fast my
confession without wavering. Amen.
November
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November 23
The Battle for the Promise

henever I have conducted a healing service, I have usually

required the people to make the above confession, because it
would qualify them for healing. Let me explain. If you have a problem
in your kidneys, then you would confess, Jesus Himself [remember,
the emphasis is on Him] took my infirmities and bore my sicknesses;
with His wounds, I am healed. Afterward, if you still have the problem in your kidneys, what do you do? Hold fast your confession. Do
you still have the problem in your kidneys? Hold fast your confession
without wavering. This is a battle. Believe me, I know from experience
that pressing your way into healing can be a tremendous battle.
The writer of Hebrews said to the Hebrew Christians, You have
not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin (Hebrews 12:4). We are
used to the idea that we have to strive against sin, but we sometimes
forget that we have to strive against sickness, too. We must fight. We
are soldiers. We do not lie down and let the devil walk over us, for
easy surrender does not give glory to God.
In regard to holding fast our confession without wavering, let us
not focus exclusively on physical healing, even though the need for
it is something that touches almost all people. What about financial
needs? For meand this is not just a ritualholding fast my confession is my way to release the treasures that God has in His storehouse
for my ministry. God spoke to me and told me that He had made full
provision for everything He would ask us to do. But to obtain the
full provision, we had to believe and confess. And I make it personal.
This confession is taken from 2 Corinthians 9:8: God is able to make
all grace abound toward [us], that [we], always having all sufficiency in all
things, may have an abundance for every good work. Glory to God!
that I fight for healing and provisionbelieving and confessing. I shall
hold fast my confession without wavering. Amen.
The Fullness of the Cross, Vol. 1: How to Enter In (audio)
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Declaring Gods Word
November 24
Unfailing Faith
e must emphasize the vital importance of faith. I say to you

what Jesus said to Peter: I have prayed for you, that your faith
should not fail (Luke 22:32). Faith is the basic requirement for belonging to God and being a child of Abraham, who is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the
steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised
(Romans 4:12). Abraham is more than just a figurehe is a pattern.
He went ahead, laid out the pathway, and took certain steps. To be
truly his descendants, we must walk in that pathway and follow in
his steps. Lets look at the five steps of the faith of Abraham: (1) he
accepted Gods promise by faith alone, without evidence; (2) he recognized that he was incapable of producing the results on his own;
(3) he focused on the promise without wavering, and this faith was
reckoned to him as righteousness; (4) as a result, Sarah and he both
received supernatural life in their bodies; and (5) thus, the promise
was fulfilled, and God was glorified.
Those are the steps of the faith of our father Abrahamthe pathway of faith that is set before every one of us. It is not some external ordinance but a lifetime walk of faith, following in the footsteps
of Abraham. We must do as Abraham did. We have to accept Gods
promise just the way it is. We have to reckon that we are incapable
of producing what God has promised in our lives. We have to focus
on the promise and not on our own abilityor inability. And then,
we will receive the supernatural grace and power of God released in
our lives through our faith. In this way, the promise of God will be
fulfilled in our lives.
that I walk in faith, fulfilling the basic requirement of belonging to
God and being a child of Abraham. I shall hold fast my confession
without wavering. Amen.
November
383
November 25
Faith/PresentHope/Future
n Hebrews 11, we find the definition of faiththe only word explicitly defined in the Bible. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Here, we see a relationship between faith and hope. Faith is here and now; hope is for the
future. Faith is a material thingsomething so real that it is called
a substance. It is in our hearts. On the basis of faith, we can have a
legitimate hope for the future. But hope that is not based on legitimate faith is just wishful thinking.
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your
heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For
with the heart one believes untosalvation. (Romans 10:910)
In the New Testament, believe is a word of motion. It is not a
static thing or an intellectual position. It is something in your heart
that leads you to something new. Faith is a verb of motion: by faith we
believe unto righteousness and salvation. You can have intellectual
faith and never be changed. You can embrace all the doctrines of the
Bible with your intellect but remain completely the same. But when
you have faith in your heart, it leads to salvation.
Faith is in the present; hope is in the future. Biblical faith is in the
heart; hope is in the mind. Paul spoke about both with an interesting
picture: But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate
of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians
5:8). Two items of armor are mentioned in this verse. Faith is a breastplate, which protects the heart, and hope is the helmet, which protects the head. Faith is in the heart; hope is in the mind.
Thank You, Lord, that You are faithfulYou give me hope. I

proclaim that I am putting on faith, the breastplate that protects my
heart, and hope, the helmet that protects my mind. I shall hold fast
my confession without wavering. Amen.
Laying the Foundation, Vol. 1: Through Repentance to Faith (audio, video)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 48:
Let us consider one another.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up
love and good works.
Hebrews 10:24
November 26
Bringing Out the Best

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is
the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the
more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:2425)
e will now look at the eighth Let us step in Hebrews, found

in the above passage. Some English translations say, Let us
consider how to stimulate one another. But the order is reversed from
the original Greek, which reads, Let us consider one another, how
to stimulate to love and good deeds. This rendering brings out the
essence of this weeks resolution to consider others. We should consider one another, always seeking to bring out the best in each other.
Many people today are shut up in prisons of self-centeredness.
They are never truly happy; they never enjoy true peace. In fact, the
more you worry and seek to please yourself, the more problems you
have. One scriptural way to be released from that prison is to stop
worrying about yourself all the time. Stop being concerned about
yourself and start considering your fellow believers.
We are to follow Jesus example and live out Pauls exhortation:
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of
mind let each of you regard one another as more important than
himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:37 nasb)
The opposite of considering one another is looking out for your
own personal interests. Release comes through being more concerned
about others than you are about yourself.
Thank You, Lord, that You help me to love others. I proclaim that
I am more concerned about others than I am about myself. I shall
consider others. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 27
Emptying Ourselves
n Philippians 2, Paul said that we need to follow Jesus example.

I always say that our attitudes determine our approaches, and our
approaches determine the outcome. Here is the attitude we need to
cultivate: Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant (Philippians 2:57 nasb). The Greek word translated bondservant literally means slave. So, we see that Jesus, who was Lord
of all, emptied Himself and was willing to become a bondservant, a
slave. We must imitate His attitude.
Paul penned a beautiful, parallel passage in Galatians:
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh [do not gratify your own
fleshly, selfish desires], but through love serve one another. For
the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.
(Galatians 5:1314 nasb)
Looking outward at others is the way in which we free ourselves
from indulging in our fleshly natures or yielding to selfishness. We are
to serve one another in love. I believe that the Holy Spirit is emphasizing this loving, selfless attitude to Gods people today. Many people
talk about serving the Lord but never serve their fellow believers. I do
not know how much you can really serve the Lord if you are not willing to serve your fellow believers, because the Lord comes to us in the
members of His body. Our attitude toward those members is really
our attitude toward the Lord Himself.
Thank You, Lord, that You help me to love others. I proclaim that I
serve my fellow believers as a way of serving the Lord. I shall consider
others. Amen.
November
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November 28
Dethroning Ourselves
n connection with our being willing to serve others, I want to look

at another passage from the apostle Paulsomething that he wrote
to the Corinthian Christians. By his background, Paul was a strict,
observant, orthodox Jew. He was a Pharisee, and he had the qualifications to be a rabbi. His was the kind of righteousness that caused him
to separate himself from other people, whom he regarded on a lower
level or even despised.
But when he came to know Jesus, the most wonderful change
took place in his nature. Bear in mind that the people of Corinth were
basically the scum of the earth. In this epistle, Paul said that some
of them had been homosexuals, some prostitutes, some drunkards,
and some revilers. They were just not the best kind of people. Corinth
was one of the major seaports of the ancient world, and, like many
seaports, the city was filled with these sorts of people.
But lets look at this astonishing statement of Paul: For we do
not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus sake (2 Corinthians 4:5 nasb).
Here is this proud Pharisee saying, We are your slaves for the
sake of Jesuseven to the likes of the people of Corinth!
Notice the three steps. First, dethrone self: notourselves. Second, enthrone Christ: Christ Jesus as Lord. Third, serve others: [we
are] your bond-servants for Jesus sake. Those three steps are so important. By love, serve others. Thats the message: escape from self-centeredness.
dethrone myself, enthrone Christ, and serve others. I shall consider
others. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
November 29
An Acquired Skill
erving is a skill that we have to acquire. It is not something that

just happens, and it is certainly not ours by nature. For example, a
server in a restaurant is a person who, in a sense, is called to serve. But
a server needs to be trained. I have a friend who used to be a server,
and he once explained to me all that is involved in being a good server.
Once I understood the training process, I realized that it does not just
happen; serving is a skill we have to acquire. We have to study others
to find out what produces a positive response, not a negative one. We
are to study others to provoke them to love and good deeds, not to the
opposite. Serving requires practice, training, and discipline.
Serving also requires the right environment. After saying, Let
us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews
10:24 nasb), the writer of Hebrews went on to say, Not forsaking our
own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near (verse 25
nasb). We must learn to serve in the right environment, which is
expressed in the words our own assembling together. It means close,
committed, regular fellowship.
In the next verse, the writer presented the disastrous alternative. Immediately after he warned us not to forsake our own assembling together, he said, For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving
the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but
a certain terrifying expectation of judgment (verses 2627 nasb). The
implication is that if we do not stay in the right environmentif we
are not in close, committed, regular fellowshipwe will go back to
sinning. The only safe way is to stay in fellowship, consider other people, and learn to serve them joyfully.
am staying in fellowship, learning to serve, and focusing on considering
other people. I shall consider others. Amen.
November
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November 30
Considering Jesus First

his eighth Let us passage says, in the original Greek, Let us consider one another. (See Hebrews 10:24.) But I would like to look
back to Hebrews 3:1, where the same word, consider, is used. It reads,
Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. If
we consider Jesus, we will end up considering one another. But it is
important that we do it in that order. We consider Jesus first; then,
we consider one another. It makes a great deal of difference whether I
relate to you as just a person or as a person in Christ.
My mind goes back to an incident that happened while I was the
principal of a college that trained teachers in East Africa. For every
vacancy that allowed us to accept one student, there were at least ten
suitable applicants. One girl actually walked twenty-four miles barefoot just to get an interview. You can hardly conceive the desperate
hunger people in Africa had for getting an education. Education was
the key to success in life, as they saw it.
One day, an elderly mother came to me on behalf of her son, a
prospective student. He was not exactly suitable for the school, however, and we had not accepted him. His mother was pestering me to
the point that I was growing annoyed with her. In Africa, they do not
believe in democracy; they believe in the chief, the strong man. He is
the one who matters. This woman kept telling me, You are the great
one; what you say goes. I got so irritated that I was about to give her
a piece of my mindand it was not my sanctified mind, either! That
is when the Lord spoke to me, very gently, saying, Remember, shes one
of My children. Be careful how you treat her. I repented. She really was a
dear, precious woman, and a child of God. If we consider Jesus first, it
will make all the difference in how we consider one another.
consider Jesus first, allowing this perspective to affect how I consider
others. I shall consider others. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
December 1
ProvocationThe Right Kind

he King James Version of Hebrews 10:24 reads, And let us consider

one another to provoke unto love and to good works. This version uses
the word provoke, a strong word that typically has a negative connotation. I think it was used deliberately in order to make us think. What
do we usually provoke from other people? Anger or jealousy. But we
are to provoke to love and to good works.
The Greek word translated provoke is the same word from which
the English word paroxysm is derived. Do you know what a paroxysm is? It is an absolutely uncontrollable outburst of emotion, such as
anger, or even laughter.
Although the word provoke often suggests something bad, in this
context, it is turned to the good, for we are to provoke one another to
love and good works. And let me just point out that there are certain
people whom youll have to provoke if you want them to do the right
thing. Moreover, you will have to consider how to provoke them.
This is one of my weaknesses. I dont like having to consider peoples personalities. With a military background and a rather logical
mind, it is sufficient for me just to tell the person to do something.
But the Bible tells us to consider how to tell them, because if you want
the right result from one person, you have to tell him in quite a different way from the way in which you might tell another person. Anybody who has children knows this is trueyou cannot treat them all
the same. You can scold one child and get the right result. But if you
scold another child, you might just discourage or defeat him.
Thank You, Lord, that You help me to love others. I proclaim that
I consider how to provoke others to love and good works. I shall
consider others. Amen.
December
391
December 2
Right Fellowship
here is one seemingly negative consequence of having fellowship

with God and our fellow believers: we can no longer have the same
sort of fellowship with unbelievers.
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership
have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light
with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what
has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of
the living God.
The separation from unbelievers that Paul was speaking about is
not primarily physical. We may find ourselves side-by-side with unbelievers every dayin our homes, in our workplaces, or in other activities of daily life. In such situations, our Christian testimony requires
us to be friendly, courteous, and helpful. But we are not free to share
with unbelievers that which is morally or spiritually impure or dishonoring to Christ. In this realm, we must follow Pauls exhortation
in 2 Corinthians 6:17: Do not touch what is unclean. If we are sensitive
to the Holy Spirit, He will always warn us of these defiling contacts
and show us how to protect ourselves from them.
However, the surest protection against wrong fellowship is right
fellowship. As Gods children, we are heirs to innumerable joys and
blessings of which the world knows nothing. In fact, Paul told us
that our Father God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). As we regularly share these
blessings with the rest of Gods family, we are no longer attracted by
the tawdry, impure pleasures of a world that is walking in darkness.
have moved out of fellowship with darkness and into fellowship with
Gods family, my brothers and sisters in Christ. I shall consider others.
Amen.
Your Walk with God (New Wine article)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 49:
Let us run the race with endurance.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
December 3
Success in the Race

he ninth Let us step from the book of Hebrews is found in the

first verse of chapter 12:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which
so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us.
(Hebrews 12:1 nasb)
In English translations, there are two let us phrases in that

one verse, which is a perfectly legitimate translation. But it just so
happens that, in the original Greek, the first phrase, let uslay aside
every encumbrance, is not found in that form. Instead, it is a participle
that reads like this: Laying aside every encumbrance, let us run with
endurance the race. The real let us phrase in the above verse, on
which we will need to focus, is Let us run with endurance the race that
is set before us.
Here and elsewhere in the New Testament, the Christian life is
compared to a race. This analogy implies a specific course marked out
before us in advance. Success in the Christian life consists in completing the course in accordance with the rules of the competition.
In light of the fact that we are confronted with this race that
is set before us, we need to see that there are four requirements for
successfully completing the race. Each one of these requirements is
found in the New Testament: (1) the right mental attitude, (2) selfcontrol, (3) endurance, and (4) having our eyes fixed on Jesus. If we
will keep these requirements in mind, we can finish the race and keep
the faith.
Thank You, Lord, for helping me to press on. I proclaim that I am

maintaining the right mental attitude, practicing self-control, exhibiting
endurance, and keeping my eyes on Jesus. By doing these things,
I will finish the race and keep the faith. I shall run the race with
endurance. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
December 4
The Right Mental Attitude

ne essential requirement for running a successful race is having

a right mental attitude. This truth was exemplified by the words
of Paul as he spoke about his relationship to Jesus Christ: That I may
know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:1011 nasb).
Paul had a specific objective. He did not run aimlessly. (See 1Corinthians 9:26.) He had an aim before him. He knew what the goal
was, which determined his mental attitude. He continued, Not that
I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect [complete], but
I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold
of by Christ Jesus (verse 12 nasb). Pauls vision was that Christ had
laid hold of him for a purpose; fulfilling that purpose meant that he
would have to relate to this purpose. He had to be determined that
the purpose of Christ would become his purpose.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward
to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(verses 1314 nasb)
The phrase I press on occurs twice, once in verse 12 and once in
verse 14. That is the mental attitude we need to share with Paul: I
press on. I have a goal. I have not yet arrived, but I know where Im
headed. The last time Paul used that phrase, he said, I press on toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. There is a
reward for those who successfully complete the race. Always keep the
goal in mind, for we do not want to lose our God-appointed reward.

maintaining the proper mental attitudekeeping the goal in mind. I
shall run the race with endurance. Amen.
December
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December 5
The Condition of Self-control

nother condition for a successful race is self-control, and this

condition is illustrated by the words Paul used in 1Corinthians
9:2425 to compare living the Christian life to competing in an athletic contest. This is an excellent parallel, and one that is still vivid
for us today, because we are so often spectators of athletic contests in
person and on television. The same principle still applies.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only
one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

That is the objective. Then, Paul went on to state the condition:
And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control
in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath [the
prize], but we an imperishable.
(verse 25 nasb)
If we are going to win the race, if we are going to win the prize,
we must meet the condition of self-control. This truth is so obvious
when we think in terms of athletics. Every athlete who succeeds as an
athlete today has to exercise the most rigorous self-control. He has to
go into trainingcontrolling what he eats, how much sleep he gets,
and the amount of exercise he has. He also has to control his psychology, building up the right kind of attitude. He cannot afford to give
way to negative thoughts. He has to go into the competition with a
positive attitude, believing he is going to achieve victory.
All this is equally true for us as Christians in our race. We cannot
win the race without self-control.

exercising self-control in all things in order to win the prize. I shall run
the race with endurance. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
December 6
Cultivating Endurance
his confession tells us that another condition for victory in this

race is stated in Hebrews 12:1: endurance. It is one quality that
is essential to our character, as Christians, if we are going to achieve
real spiritual success and fulfillment. We must cultivate endurance.
What is the opposite of endurance? I think it is giving up, or quitting. Christians cannot afford to be quitters. When God commits us
to something, we have to set our faces to fulfill it and go through with
it. There is a close relationship between self-control and endurance.
Without self-control, we will not achieve endurance. We must master
our weaknesses; otherwise, every time we are tested in the area of
endurance, some weaknesswhether it is emotional, psychological,
or physicalwill get us down, and we will give up at the very point
where we should have been holding on and enduring.
Yet another condition for a successful race is to have our eyes
fixed on Jesus. As is stated in Hebrews, Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the
cross (Hebrews 12:2 nasb).
We have to look continually to Jesus. In other words, we cannot
run the race in self-reliance. Looking to Jesus means that He is our
example, and we put our confidence in Him. He is the authorthe
beginning of our faith. He is the perfecterthe One who will bring
us through to victory.
Thank You, Lord, for helping me to press on. I proclaim that I

do not give up, but fix my gaze on Jesus, the One who brings me
through to victory. I shall run the race with endurance. Amen.
December
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December 7
A Long, Deliberate Race

here it says in Hebrews 12:1 to lay aside every weight, we must

think in terms of this race. The runner empties his pockets and
wears the lightest, most flexible clothing he can; he does not carry a
single unnecessary ounce of weight. Some things that arent exactly
sins still act as weights that can burden us and hold us back. They
exhaust our strength or lure us into spending too much time and
attention on them.
Remember, this is not a short sprintit is a long, deliberate race.
The primary characteristic that is required is endurance. Many people
start off the Christian life as if it were a dash. A little while later, they
are panting beside the track; they are finished, and they have hardly
begun the race. Ecclesiastes 9:11 wisely points out, The race is not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong.
The following is the testimony of a victorthe apostle Paul:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have
kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to
me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved
His appearing.
(2 Timothy 4:78 nasb)
Paul knew that he had won the race. He had finished the course,
and he knew that the prize was waiting for him. That is a glorious
testimony. It can be the testimony of you and me, too, if we will only
meet the conditions.
It isnt speed or strength but endurance that counts.
Thank You, Lord, for helping me to press on. I proclaim that I lay
aside every weight in preparation to finish a long, deliberate race. I
shall run the race with endurance. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
December 8
The Persevering Process

ets consider some simple principles that will help us to cultivate

endurance, reading first what Paul wrote in Romans 5:12: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this
grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We rejoice
because of what the future holds for us. Paul went on to say that we
rejoice not only in the light of the future, but also in what the present
offers: And not only in that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope (verses 34). Where verse 3 uses the word glory, the original Greek word means to rejoice, boast, or exult. We should exult in
tribulation because of what tribulation does. The New American Standard Bible says, Tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance,
proven character; and proven character, hope. Perseverance produces
proven character in us. This is the heart of endurancecharacter that
has stood the test. As Paul wrote, Now hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was
given to us (Romans 5:5).
Love is a matter of character. In essence, we are dealing with the
formation of our characters. We rejoice in tribulation, for tribulation
is the only thing that produces perseverance. And perseverance produces proven character. I know men with whom I have walked and
shared hardship, opposition, misrepresentation, and misunderstanding. But today, for me, their character is proven; I know I can trust
them. In the midst of treachery and lawlessness, I want to know
whom I can trust.

rejoice in the tribulations that produce the character and hope I need
to finish the race. I shall run the race with endurance. Amen.
Character That Stands the Test (Teaching Legacy Letter)
December
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December 9
Until the End

ne of the consistent themes of Hebrews is the danger of going

back on your profession of faith in Christ. There are five distinct
passages in Hebrews that warn us of the danger of going back. These
are some of the most solemn words in Scripture. Therefore, one of the
key words that Hebrews emphasizes is this word that we are looking
at: endurance.
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the
full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience [endurance] inherit the promises.
(Hebrews 6:1112)
Faith and endurance. Some people will tell you that faith is all
you need to claim Gods promise. But that is not true. You need faith
and endurance. It takes both. As the author of Hebrews continued,
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For
you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you
may receive the promise (Hebrews 10:3536).
The word confidence means that you have freedom of speech. You
can talk boldly about Jesusabout what He has done for you and
what He is will do for you. You have done the will of God, but you have
not yet received the promises. What do you need? Endurance. You
need to hold out from the point where you did Gods will and claimed
the promise to the point where you actually receive the promise. Some
people do the will of God and claim the promise, but they dont hold
out. Then, they say that it didnt work. But it will not work without
endurance. You need faith and endurance.

endure to the end by faith, holding out to do Gods will and claiming
the promises. I shall run the race with endurance. Amen.
Character That Stands the Test (Teaching Legacy Letter)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 50:
Let us show gratitude.
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot
be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may
offer to God an acceptable service with reverence
and awe.
Hebrews 12:28 (nasb)
December 10
Grace and Thanks

he tenth Let us step in the book of Hebrews is found near the end
of chapter 12:
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let
us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable
service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

(Hebrews 12:2829 nasb)
Where the version above says Let us show gratitude, the King
James and New King James Versions say, Let us have graceand it
is important that we understand the connection between grace and
thanks. The King James translation is a literal translation of the
wordsthe phrase to have grace is commonly used in Greek to
express the giving of thanks. This brings out the association between
grace and thanks. This connection is also found in various modern
Romance languages. In French, for instance, they say, Grce Dieu,
which means Thanks to God; in Italian, it is grazie, and in Spanish,
it is gracias. All are taken from the same word for grace.
It is easy to see this connection between grace and thanks. In
light of this fact, I want to tell you that you cannot have the grace of
God in your life unless you practice giving thanks. Grace and thanks
go together. There is nothing more ungracious than an unthankful
person, whereas a thankful person will always experience the grace
of God.
God requires two things of us as His people. First of all, He
requires that we appreciate what He does for us. Second, He requires
that we express our appreciation. It is important to understand our
need to express appreciation to God.
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that I
appreciate what the Lord does for me, and I express that appreciation
freely. I shall show gratitude. Amen.
402
Declaring Gods Word
December 11
Stopping to Say Thanks

ome people are genuinely grateful to God but never take the time
to tell God that they are. How would we feel if our children never
thanked us for all that weve done for them? How would we feel if
they never said thank you or showed their gratitude, if they just
accepted everything we did for them as if it were by right, merely taking it for granted?
Unfortunately, that is how many of Gods children treat Him
and it is not pleasing in His sight. We are required to appreciate what
God does for us and to take the time to express our appreciation. One
of my favorite verses is in Proverbs: In all your ways acknowledge Him
[God], and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6).
I have learned by experience that if I pause at every stage in life
to acknowledge God, I can be confident that He will continue to direct
my path. You might ask, How can I acknowledge God? The simplest
and best way is to thank Himsay Thank You for all He has done
and for His faithfulness. You will get immediate assurance that He is
going to continue to be faithful. Just as He has helped and guided you
in the past, He will guide you in the future. But the key to this assurance is acknowledging Him by our thanksgiving.
When I was in East Africa, I discovered that in the language of
my adopted African daughters tribe, they had no word or phrase that
meant thank you. Can you imagine not being able to say thank
you? I then realized that it is only where the Bible has come that
people have learned to say thank you. It is part of the grace of God.
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that I will
pause at every stage in life to acknowledge God by thanking Him. I
shall show gratitude. Amen.
December
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December 12
The Appropriate Response

e need to look at the background of this exhortation to be

thankful as we read it in the epistle to the Hebrews, where we
find the following rather solemn warning. The writer made a parallel
application from the Old Testament, when God spoke to the people of
Israel through Moses:
See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those
did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth,
much less shall we [believers in the New Testament] escape
who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice
shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, Yet once
more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. And
this expression, Yet once more, denotes the removing of those
things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that
those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Thankfulness is the appropriate response to the particular privileges and benefits that we have in God. We are not dependent on a
shakable kingdom. We have an eternal kingdom, an unshakable kingdom, the kingdom of God Himself, the kingdom that is righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17 nasb). In the midst
of all that is being shaken around usall the distress, uncertainty,
perplexity, confusion, hatred, division, war, and fearwe have an
unshakable kingdom. We have peace, security, and purpose. What
is the appropriate response? There is only one: it is thankfulness.
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show
gratitude (Hebrews 12:28); let us express our thanks to God.
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that since
I receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, I will be thankful and
show gratitude. I shall show gratitude. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
December 13
The Release Thanksgiving Brings

hankfulness, or gratitude, is the appropriate response to what God

has doneand is still doingfor us. It is something that we owe
to God, something we need to pay. But the expression of our appreciation also does something in our own spirits that nothing else can do.
I express it in this way: Thankfulness releases our spirits for
acceptable worship and service. That is why the writer of Hebrews
said, Let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable
service with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28 nasb). Without gratitude, our services to God will not be acceptable. It is that attitude of
gratitude that makes our services acceptable and releases our spirits.
An unthankful person is bound up in himself. He is self-centered.
He really cannot know true liberation. But thankfulness releases our
spirits.
In everything give thanks; for this [giving thanks] is Gods will
for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.

(1 Thessalonians 5:1819 nasb)
That is a clear commandment: if we do not give thanks, we are
being disobedient. We are also out of the will of God. In addition,
failing to give thanks quenches the Spirit. The only release for the
Spiritto serve God acceptablyis through thanksgiving.
Then, notice the warning that concludes Hebrews 12: For our
God is a consuming fire (verse 29). The writer was telling us, We have
to approach this holy, awe-inspiring God with the right attitude
with humble, thankful hearts.
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that as I
approach a holy, awe-inspiring God with a humble, thankful heart,
that attitude releases my spirit for acceptable worship and service. I
shall show gratitude. Amen.
December
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December 14
The Necessity of Gratitude

ets take a look at the situation of the world in these last days. We
know that a shaking is coming. (See Hebrews 12:2627.) Now, look
at the disintegration of character, morality, and standards. Paul said,
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Godhaving a form of godliness but
denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

(2 Timothy 3:15 niv)
This is a terrible list of the moral defects and character degeneration that are going to mark the close of this age. I would predict
that, if you go over that list again, you will find that most of these
character defects are already conspicuous in our contemporary culture. And, right there in the middle of the list, it says that people
are disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love. Notice
the association. The ungrateful are right next door to the unholy. You
cannot be holy and remain ungrateful. Since our God is a consuming
fire (see, for example, Hebrews 12:29), He requires that we serve Him
with holiness, which is appropriate. We also have to serve Him with
gratitude. We must come to Him with thankfulness.
Let us show gratitude so that we may serve Him acceptably, with
reverence and godly fear. (See verse 28.)
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that since
our God is a consuming fire, I serve Him with holiness and gratitude.
I shall show gratitude. Amen.
406
Declaring Gods Word
December 15
Giving Thanks to God

o be thankful is a direct command of Scripture; if we are not thankful, we are being disobedient. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:18.) Thankfulness, like most important attitudes of the Christian life, originates in
the will, not in the emotions. We do not have to feel thankful in order
to be thankful. Those who have children train them to say thank you.
In Britain, children are expected to say thank you even before they
receive anything. It is simply a matter of proper conduct.
God often deals with us in that way, requiring us to say thank
you before we actually receive something. Oftentimes, if we wait to
receive it first, we will not get it.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you
were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through Him.
(Colossians 3:1517)
This passage makes two demands of us: to do all things in the
name of the Lord Jesus, and to give thanks while doing them. These
instructions apply to every task, whether its scrubbing the kitchen
floor, cleaning the bathroom, driving the car, or writing a letter.
That gives us a pretty good gauge of right and wrong. If there is
anything that we cannot honestly do in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks all the while, then wed better not do it. This method
cuts away a whole list of dos and donts. It is a basic principle to guide
our words and actions.
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that I will
do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father while I am doing them. I shall show gratitude. Amen.
Thankfulness (audio)
December
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December 16
Fulfilling Gods Will

hankfulness is a way of expressing the peace of Christ that rules

in our hearts, an expression of the Word of Christ dwelling richly
within us. Giving thanks is a principle that should guide all that
we do. (See Colossians 3:1517.) Lets look at three short but no less
important verses, starting with 1 Thessalonians 5:1618: Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus for you. There are three simple instructions in
those verses: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything
give thanks. Concerning the giving thanks in everything, Paul said,
This is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. When we are not giving
thanks, we are not fulfilling the will of God. In other words, we are
out of Gods will. How important it is to understand that!
The second thing I want to say about thankfulness, or thanksgiving, is that it is an essential expression of the fullness of the Spirit.
Paul wrote, Do not quench the Spirit (verse 19). Here is what he said
to the Ephesians: So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will
of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but
be filled with the [Holy] Spirit (Ephesians 5:1718 nasb).
Paul provided us with a negative, followed by a positive, regarding the will of the Lord. If we do not understand these truths about
Gods will, then we are foolish. Each exhortation is equally valid. It is
wrong for a Christian to get drunk with wine, but it is equally wrong
for a Christian not to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, as
religious people, we focus so much on the negativenot filling ourselves with wine so that we become drunkthat we forget about the
positivebeing filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to be filled with
the Spirit.
Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me. I proclaim that by
giving thanks, I am fulfilling the will of God and expressing the fullness
of the Spirit. I shall show gratitude. Amen.
408
Declaring Gods Word
Week 51:
Let us go forth to Him outside the camp.
Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp,
bearing His reproach.
Hebrews 13:13
December 17
Bearing His Reproach

he eleventh Let us resolution of Hebrews is in chapter 13:

Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through
His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hence, let us go out to
Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not
have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

This passage deals with our attitude and relationship to this present world. It is telling us that our home is not in this world. We have
no enduring place in this world. The world rejected Jesus. It drove
Him out of the city and crucified Him outside the gate.
The Scripture always emphasizes the fact that Jesus crucifixion took place outside the city wall. Jesus was rejected. He was put
out of society; the world did not want Him. And the way in which
the world treated Jesus, sooner or later, and in one way or another,
is going to be the way in which the world will treat you and me, as
believers. We must be willing to go out to Himto the place of crucifixion, rejection, and shamebearing His reproach. Elsewhere in
Hebrews, it says that the reproach of Christ amounts to greater riches
than all the treasures of Egypt. (See Hebrews 11:26.) So, His reproach
becomes our glory.
Then, the writer gave a beautiful reason: For here we do not have
a lasting city. Other people may think that this world is permanent,
but we know that it is not. But we are seeking the city which is to come.
I like this translation because it says the city. There is one specific city
that is the destination and the home of all true believers. It is where
we really belong.
Thank You, Lord, that You are calling me to leave this world behind.
I proclaim that I am willing to go out to Jesus outside the city wall,
bearing His reproach. I shall go forth to Him outside the camp.
Amen.
410
Declaring Gods Word
December 18
A City He Has Prepared

n the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, the writer listed a kind of honor

roll of many faithful saints of the Old Testament. Then, he said,
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having
seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For
those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a
country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that
country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God;
for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:1316 nasb)
These forerunners in the faithmen and women who are our

examples in so many waysconfessed that they were strangers and
exiles on this earth. They did not really belong; they were seeking a
country of their own.
There are multitudes of refugees in our world today who are
going through the agony of having no permanent place of their own.
The people in Hebrews, too, were seeking a place of their ownbut
not in this world. If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to
the place from which they came. Abraham, for instance, could have
returned to Ur of the Chaldeans. But he had his mind set forward; he
was not looking backward. They desired a better countrythat is, a
heavenly one. Then, we read that beautiful sentence, Therefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God. When we identify ourselves with
Godwith His preparation of a city for usthen He is proud to be
our God. He has prepared a cityfor them, for us.
I proclaim that I am a stranger and an exile on this earth, seeking the
city that God has prepared for me. I shall go forth to Him outside the
camp. Amen.
December
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December 19
Identification with the Cross

ommitment to Jesus requires identification with His cross and

going out to the place where He was crucified. This commitment
rules out two things: pleasing self and pleasing the world.
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who
walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of
whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they
are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose
god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set
their minds on earthly things.
(Philippians 3:1719 nasb)
Paul was speaking of people who merely profess to be Christians,

enemies of the cross who claim to be followers of Christ. They indulge
themselves and set their minds on the things of this world. The principle of the crossdeath to self and to the things of the fleshhas not
been applied in their lives. Even in the church, many people profess
allegiance to Christ but reject His cross. Their end is destruction.
By our identification with the cross of Jesus, we also rule out
pleasing this world. James wrote these stern words to professing
believers: You adulterous people, dont you know that friendship with
the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the
world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4 niv). James called these
people adulterous. Becoming part of the bride of Christ, the church,
requires a spiritual commitmentthe bride must be single-hearted,
totally committed and devoted to Jesus. If that devotion to Jesus is
infiltrated by the love of this world, then we are spiritual adulterers.
We are not being faithful to the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. To be a
friend of the world is to commit spiritual adultery.
I proclaim that I apply this principle of the crossdeath to self and
to the things of the flesh. I shall go forth to Him outside the camp.
Amen.
412
Declaring Gods Word
December 20
The Mark of Separation

n the gospel of John, Jesus issued this statement:

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you
belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you
do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
(John 15:1819 niv)
When the world loves us as its own, that is a pretty sure sign
that we do not belong to Jesus. We need to give heed to that warning.
What, then, should our attitude be in light of this? Paul expressed it
well in Galatians 6:14: But may it never be that I should boast, except in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (nasb).
May we never boast or put confidence in anything but the cross
of the Lord. Not in education, religion, or denominationnone of
these things. We can safely boast only in the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ, where Jesus won a total, permanent, irreversible victory over
all the forces of evil. Through the cross, the world has been crucified
to me, and I to the world. The cross is the mark of separation between
the people of God and the world. When we accept the principle of the
cross in our lives, we no longer belong to this world. Jesus gave us this
beautiful promise of victory: I have told you these things, so that in me
you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I
have overcome the world (John 16:33 niv).
We are going to have troublebut Jesus has overcome the world!
Through Him, we, too, can overcome the world, if we are willing to go
forth to Himoutside the camp, bearing His reproach.
I proclaim that I accept the cross as a mark of separation between the
people of God and the worlda world to which I no longer belong.
I shall go forth to Him outside the camp. Amen.
December
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December 21
His Banishment: Our Acceptance

n the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus, we read about the Day of Atonement, specifically about the scapegoat. This day involved two goats.
One goat was a sin offering, and it was killed. The other goat, which
was called azazel, or scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8), was led away into the
wilderness. It was led off into an uninhabited land to wander there
hopelessly and die of thirst. It never returned.
Jesus was the scapegoat in the figure of the Day of Atonement.
He was banished from the presence of Almighty God. Jesus is actually
typified by both goats. As the sin offering, He died on the cross. But as
the scapegoat, He was banished from the presence of God, enduring
our rejection for us. The opposite of banishment is acceptance. That is
stated in Ephesians 1:6: He made us accepted in the Beloved.
We must all understand that we are accepted. Again, one of the
most common problems that people have in modern America is the
feeling of rejection. In any given congregation, I can guarantee that
there are several people who are struggling with feelings of rejection.
In most cases, these feelings are due to their parentsgrowing up,
they may have never believed that their parents really wanted them,
and so they never learned to feel accepted. They go through life feeling
rejected, unhappy, unable to integrate with other people, and unable
to show love, because they have never experienced love.
I have learned by experience that one of the great keys to helping
such people is to impart to them the assurance that they are accepted
by God. It is also comforting to know that He Himself knows the pain
of rejection, for no one else was as utterly rejected as He when He died
on the cross for our sins.
I proclaim that because Jesus was banished from the presence of
Almighty God, I am accepted in the beloved. I shall go forth to
Him outside the camp. Amen.
414
Declaring Gods Word
December 22
Accepting the Arm of the Lord

saiah 53 begins with a warning about the danger that this prophetic
message, given to Isaiah by God, will be met by many with unbelief:
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been
revealed? (Isaiah 53:1).
The Lords Servant, described in earlier verses (see Isaiah
52:1315) and foretold in this prophecy, is described in the above verse
as the arm of the Lord. This phrase denotes Gods power intervening
on behalf of His people. It indicated ahead of time that through Jesus
Christ Himself, God would intervene to bring salvation to His people.
All this was fulfilled in Jesus. He came to reveal God and to bring His
salvation and healing to everyone. Peter, an eyewitness of the earthly
ministry of Jesus, summed it up: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all
who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38).
The gospel of John applies Isaiahs prophecy directly to Jesus:
But although He had done so many signs [miracles] before them,
they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled, which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our
report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

(John 12:3738)
We must hold fast to our belief in Him who fulfilled the Old
Testament prophecies. Even many of those who witnessed firsthand
the miracles of Jesus were incredulous. Let us not demand signs and
wonders, which do not guarantee belief, but let us maintain faith in
the One who earned our salvation, the greatest miracle of all.
I proclaim that although many of Jesus own people rejected Him, I
receive Him as the arm of the Lord who brings salvation. I shall go
forth to Him outside the camp. Amen.
Three Messages for Israel (booklet)
December
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December 23
No Form Nor Comeliness

saiah 53:2 gives a prophetic description of Jesus early years on earth:

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of
dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no
beauty that we should desire Him. From youth to adulthood, Jesus grew
up like a sturdy plant, upright and God-fearing in all His ways. This fact
is also described in Luke 2:40: And the Child grew and became strong in
spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. At the same
time, Jesus was a root out of dry ground. He came forth as Gods messenger to Israel at a period of prolonged spiritual poverty. Israel had
not received any prophetic revelation for nearly three hundred years.
This prophetic silence was broken only by John the Baptist, then Jesus
Himself, who both proclaimed the coming of Gods kingdom.
Jesus had no special outward splendor that would reveal His true
identity to people. They saw in Him nothing more than the son of
Joseph the carpenter. (See Matthew 13:5455.) When Peter acknowledged Him as the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus said that this revelation came not through Peters natural senses; rather, it was given
to him by God the Father. (See Matthew 16:17.) The prophecy continues, He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows [pains] and
acquainted with grief [disease]. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus did not
seek the favor of the wealthy. Instead, He devoted Himself tirelessly
to helping the poor and the suffering. He faced pain and disease, eventually taking upon Himself the pain and disease of the whole human
race. Hanging on the cross in shame and agony, He became like one
from whom men hide their face (Isaiah 53:3 nasb).
I proclaim that although Jesus was despised and rejected by men, I
receive Him and esteem Him as Messiah, the Son of God. I shall go
forth to Him outside the camp. Amen.
Three Messages for Israel (booklet)
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Declaring Gods Word
Week 52:
Let us continually offer up
a sacrifice of praise.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the
sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips,
giving thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13:15
December 24
Lips That Give Thanks

Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise.
his is the twelfth and final Let us resolution from the book of
Hebrews: Through Him [Jesus] then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name
(Hebrews 13:15 nasb). To me, this resolution is very appropriate and
beautiful because it is something we are instructed to keep on doing.
If we continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, all year long, it
will make all the difference as to what the year holds for each of us.
This final step of offering up a sacrifice of praise to God relates
directly, and in a practical way, to the two previous steps, which
were, Let us show gratitude and Let us go forth to Him outside the
gate.
Gratitude naturally leads to praise. There are many passages in
the Bible in which thanksgiving is related to praise. One of the most
beautiful is Psalm 100:4: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and
into His courts with praise. The first step in gaining access to God is
thanksgiving; the second step is praise. Thanksgiving leads to praise.
It finds expression in praise, and it flows out in praise.
The step just before this one, Let us go forth to Him outside the
camp, brings us release from the two slaveries of pleasing self and
pleasing the world. Again, this step is directly related to offering the
sacrifice of praise. You might not see it at first, but there are two hindrances to spontaneous, free-flowing praise in our lives: love of self
and love of the world. As long as our affections are centered in ourselves or in the world, we are not really free to praise God. The cross
removes these two hindrances and sets us free to praise God.
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that I remove all
hindrances and that I offer up praise to Godthe fruit of lips that
give thanks to His name. I shall continually offer up a sacrifice of
praise. Amen.
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Declaring Gods Word
December 25
Liberated by the Cross

he cross of Jesus removes the hindrances of pleasing ourselves and

pleasing the world. Then, when we are no longer affected by what
happens to ourselves, we cease to be significantly affected by our
moods, problems, or apparent adversity. What goes on in the world
around us no longer affects us.
We may sit and listen to the news, and, afterwards, get up thinking that the situation in the world is pretty badthere are crises,
disasters, crime, immorality. But we need to see that the world does
not dominate us, that it does not dominate our thinking. We are in
the world but not of the world. When we are released from slavery
to the worldwhen the world no longer controls our thinking and
we have been liberated by the cross in our inner attitude toward the
worldthen there is nothing left to hinder our praise.
We do not praise God just when things are going right in the
world or with ourselves. We praise God because He is worthy to be
praised. Our liberated spirits are not entangled with self-love and the
love of the world.
You can find out a lot about a person when you study how much
praising he does. Is he a slave to the old man, or has he entered into
the resurrected life of the new man? The old man is a grumbler. When
we hear a person grumbling, we know that is the old man speaking.
But the new man is a praiser. Which are you? The old man says, I
cant take this any longer, Things are getting too bad, Nobody
treats me right, Whats wrong with the world? The new man says,
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Im free. Im a child of God. Heaven is my
home. God loves me.
Which of these attitudes is yours?
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that I have been
liberated by the cross to give praise to God, for He is worthy to be
praised. I shall continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
December
419
December 26
A Costly Sacrifice
ets look at a verse from the book of Proverbs that points to the
importance of what we say with our mouths:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love
it will eat its fruit.
(Proverbs 18:21)
Two things come from the use of the tongue: death and life. If
we grumble, or if we are negative or self-centered, our tongues will
bring forth death. But if we are liberated from all of that negativity
and are walking in the praise and worship of God, our tongues will
bring forth life. Additionally, whatever fruit our tongues bring forth,
whether sweet or bitter, we are going to eat of it.
Lets go back to our pattern verse for this week. Id like to bring
out one more important point from it. The writer said,
Through Him [Jesus] then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice
of praise to God.
One very significant word in this verse is sacrifice. Praise is a
sacrifice. According to the principles of Scripture, a sacrifice requires
a death. In the Old Testament sacrifices, nothing was ever offered to
God that had not passed through death. So, we see that the sacrifice
of praise requires a deaththe death of the old man. The old man
cannot praise God as He deserves to be praised. There has to be a
death.
Again, we know that a sacrifice costs us something; thus, praise
is costly. Let me put it this way: we need to praise God most when we
least feel like it. Praise cannot depend on our feelings. It is a sacrifice
of our spirits.
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that praise is a

sacrifice, praise is costly, and, whether I feel like it or not, I give God
praise. I shall continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
420
Declaring Gods Word
December 27
Contagious Praise
ets look at the example of King David in Psalm 34. The introduction to this psalm says, A psalm of David when he feigned madness
before Abimelech [or Achish], who drove him away and he departed
(nasb). At this time in his life, David was a fugitive from his own
country. King Saul was trying to kill him, so David had to leave his
familiar surroundings.
He went to the court of a Gentile king for refuge, but the king
suspected him of being an enemy. In order to save his own life, he
had to feign madness. The historic book of 1 Samuel tells us that
he scratched at the door and slobbered on his beard. (See 1Samuel
21:1015.) That was the situation. But what was Davids reaction?
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be
in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let
us exalt His name together.
(Psalm 34:13 nasb)
Right there, in the midst of such a terrible situation, with his life
hanging in the balance and the shame of having to feign madness,
David praised the Lord. That is the sacrifice of praise. When he was at
his lowest, David decided to go on boasting in the Lord. When there
was nothing else to boast about, he decided to boast in the Lord.
Then, David went on, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt
His name together. Praise is contagious. If we learn to praise God in
this way, others will join in. But grumbling is contagious, too. If we
grumble, we will attract fellow grumblers. We must learn to offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually.
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that regardless of my

circumstances, I give God the sacrifice of praise, boasting in the Lord.
I shall continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
December
421
December 28
Praise in the Desert

hen I was serving in the British army during World War II, I was
stationed in the deserts of North Africa. One negative aspect
of desert living conditions is that they tend to provoke murmuring
and complaining. This happened with Israel many times, and it often
brought Gods judgment and disfavor upon them. I got so weary of the
desert, the food, and the blaspheming British soldiers that I began
to complain. When I did this, I lost the sense of Gods presence and
blessing.
I decided to set aside a special day to fast and to ask God why His
presence seemed to have withdrawn from me. I said, God, why are
You not near to me? Why do I have to continue this monotonous, wearisome life in the desert? By evening, God had given me the answer.
He spoke to me very clearly, saying, Why have you not thanked Me?
Why have you not praised Me? As I meditated on what God said, I
realized that I had lost the sense of His presence because I had become
unthankful.
In due course, the Holy Spirit directed me to various passages
along this line, including 1 Thessalonians 5:1619: Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is Gods will for
you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit (nasb). Again, the implication is that if we do not rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and
give thanks in everything, we are quenching the Holy Spirit! By murmuring and complaining instead of praising and giving thanks, I had
quenched the Holy Spirit in my life.
God expects us to continually offer up a sacrifice of praise from
our lipsnot just inwardly from our hearts. We have to make our
praise vocal by giving thanks to the name of the Lord!
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that I do not quench
the Spirit but rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in
everything. I shall continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
Pages from My Lifes Book: Discipled in the Desert (audio)
422
Declaring Gods Word
December 29
The Mark of Thankfulness

s we have seen, thankfulness is a direct command of Scripture

and an indispensable mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
These facts lead to two practical conclusions that apply to each of us
personally: first, an unthankful Christian is disobedient; second, an
unthankful Christian is not full of the Holy Spirit.
Thanksgiving is also a requirement for entering Gods presence,
as we read in Psalm 100:45: Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and
His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the Lord
is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations (nasb). Two essential stages in our approach to God are entering the gates with thanksgiving and entering the courts with praise.
Again, the psalmist also gave three specific reasons that we
should thank God. First, the Lord is good; second, His lovingkindness is everlasting; and, third, His faithfulness [is] to all generations.
Each of these is permanent and unchanging. God is always good; His
lovingkindness is everlasting; His faithfulness is to all generations.
The primary reasons for giving thanks to God never depend on our
feelings or circumstances. We may feel up one day, down the next;
sometimes we are encouraged, other times discouraged. But there is
no reason to change our attitude of thankfulness to God.
In order to approach God on the basis of these three eternal
facts, we need to change our focus. We need to look away from things
that irritate, discourage, or provoke us, looking instead at the eternal
things, which we see through eyes of faith. When we come to God
with the right focus, we are in a position to hear from God and to
receive from Him.
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that I enter Your
gates with thanksgiving, and Your courts with praise, because You are
good, and Your lovingkindness is everlasting. You are faithful. I shall
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
December
423
December 30
Praise Silences the Devil

raise is a spiritual weapon that we can use to silence the devil.

There is perhaps no more important fact in the Bible than this.
From the point of view of practical Christian living, God has given
you a way to silence the devils mouth. Psalm 8:2 says, Out of the
mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because
of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. The
psalmist, addressing God, was speaking about enemies in the plural
and the enemy and the avenger in the singular. The enemy and the
avenger is none other than the devil himself; enemies are the evil
spirits that are Satans instruments against us. Because of Satan and
his evil spirits, God has ordained strength that we might silence the
devil.
This verse was quoted by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. The
quotation is a revelation of the full meaning of this passage. In this
scene, Jesus is in the temple, healing the sick, and the children are
running to and fro, crying, Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew
21:15). This upsets the religious leaders, so they say to Jesus, Do You
hear what they are saying? Jesus then gives us this revelation: Yes.
Have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You
have perfected praise? (verse 16). Where the psalmist said, You have
ordained strength, Jesus said, You have perfected praise. So, we get a
simple, direct inference. The ordained strength of Gods people in
battle is perfected praise. God has made it possible for us to silence
the devil and all his evil spirits by perfect praise.
As babes and infants, if we will but praise God perfectly, out of
our mouths will come forth a weapon that silences the devil. And God
will be glorified.
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that by my perfected

praise, I silence the devil and glorify God. I shall continually offer up
a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
Spiritual Conflict, Vol. 4: Strategy for Conquest: Triumphant Praise (audio)
424
Declaring Gods Word
December 31
Invoking Gods Blessing

he climax of the priestly blessing that Aaron and his descendants

were instructed to pronounce on the people of Israel came with
these words: So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I
will bless them (Numbers 6:27).
Often, the most effective prayers we can offer on behalf of others
are prayers of praise and thanksgiving, invoking the name of the Lord
Jesus on them. When we put the name of Jesus on those for whom we
are praying, we invoke Gods blessing on them. Few of us realize how
much we uplift people in their spirits when we simply praise God for
them. It is a major part of our ministry as intercessors.
Praying Hyde was an outstanding missionary in the Punjab
in India in the last century, when India was still under British rule.
Hydes ministry was prayer; everything else was secondary. Early on,
he came across an Indian evangelist whom he considered ineffective
and cold. As he began to pray about this man, he said, Lord, You
know he was going to say, how cold Brother So-and-so is. But
the Holy Spirit stopped him with Proverbs 30:10: Do not slander a
servant to his master (niv).
So, Brother Hyde changed his approach. He began to think of
everything good in that mans life and to thank God for him. Within
a few months, that man became outstandingly successful as an evangelist. What changed him? Not being accused in prayer, but being the
object of thanksgiving.
God has taught me that if I cannot thank Him for somebody, I
probably have no right to pray for that person. I had better not pray at all
because my prayer may do more harm than good. As Numbers 6:27 says,
So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
Thank You, Lord. I give You praise. I proclaim that I do not slander
a servant but instead invoke Gods blessing on him or her. I shall
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Amen.
Husbands and Fathers (book)
December
425
About the Author
erek Prince (19152003) was born in Bangalore, India, into a

British military family. He was educated as a scholar of classical languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic) at Eton College
and Cambridge University in England and later at Hebrew University,
Israel. As a student, he was a philosopher and self-proclaimed atheist.
He held a fellowship in ancient and modern philosophy at Kings College, Cambridge.
While in the British Medical Corps during World War II, Prince
began to study the Bible as a philosophical work. Converted through
a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ, he was baptized in the Holy
Spirit a few days later. This life-changing experience altered the
whole course of his life, which he thereafter devoted to studying and
teaching the Bible as the Word of God.
Discharged from the army in Jerusalem in 1945, he married
Lydia Christensen, founder of a childrens home there. Upon their
marriage, Derek immediately became father to Lydias eight adopted
daughterssix Jewish, one Palestinian Arab, and one English.
Together, the family saw the rebirth of the state of Israel in 1948. In
the late 1950s, the Princes adopted another daughter while Derek
was serving as principal of a college in Kenya.
In 1963, the Princes immigrated to the United States and pastored a church in Seattle, Washington. Stirred by the tragedy of John
F. Kennedys assassination, Derek began to teach Americans how to
intercede for their nation. In 1973, he became one of the founders
of Intercessors for America. His book Shaping History through Prayer
and Fasting has awakened Christians around the world to their
responsibility to pray for their governments. Many consider underground translations of this book as having been instrumental in the
About the Author
427
fall of communist regimes in the former USSR, East Germany, and

Czechoslovakia.
Lydia Prince died in 1975, and Derek married Ruth Baker (a
single mother to three adopted children) in 1978. He met his second
wife, like the first, while he was serving the Lord in Jerusalem. Ruth
died in December 1998 in Jerusalem, where the Princes had lived
since 1981.
Until a few years before his own death in 2003 at the age of
eighty-eight, Derek Prince persisted in the ministry God had called
him to as he traveled the world, imparting Gods revealed truth,
praying for the sick and afflicted, and sharing his prophetic insights
into world events in the light of Scripture. He wrote more than fifty
books, which have been translated into more than sixty languages
and distributed worldwide. He pioneered teaching on such groundbreaking themes as generational curses, the biblical significance of
Israel, and demonology.
Derek Prince Ministries, with its international headquarters in
Charlotte, North Carolina, continues to distribute his teachings and
trains missionaries, church leaders, and congregations through its
worldwide branch offices. Dereks radio program, Keys to Successful
Living (now known as Derek Prince Legacy Radio), began in 1979 and
has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Estimates
are that Derek Princes clear, nondenominational, nonsectarian
teaching of the Bible has reached more than half the globe.
Internationally recognized as a Bible scholar and spiritual patriarch, Derek Prince established a teaching ministry that spanned six
continents and more than sixty years. In 2002, he said, It is my
desireand I believe the Lords desirethat this ministry continue
the work, which God began through me over sixty years ago, until
Jesus returns.
428
Declaring Gods Word

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James

DeClaring Gods Word: A 365-Day Devotional

The believers overcame Satan by the blood of Jesus

s president of Derek Prince MinistriesUSA, I am excited to bring

will represent a daily declaration of war on the kingdom of Satan

Declaring Gods Word

The section that follows the teaching summarizes what Derek

Knowing the Word

believe the Lord showed me through an insight into Scripture how

Declaring Gods Word

Applying the Blood

n looking at this confession, we can see that we have to know what

Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I am

n the Passover ceremony, the blood of lambs was collected in basins.

Declaring Gods Word

Relying on the Lamb

There is a very clear application of the Passover to the sacrifice

Declaring Gods Word

he most important day in the religious year of the Jewish people

The Measure of His Love

n the Day of Atonement, the blood of the sacrifices had to be

Declaring Gods Word

his statement of Scripture is one that concerns what the blood of

Notice, first of all, that to receive these benefits, we have to be in

Declaring Gods Word

The Sinless Lamb

e were redeemed, or bought back, from our old, evil, ungodly

Declaring Gods Word

The Protection of the Almighty

The word abide in Hebrew normally means to pass the night. It

he term redemption means to buy back. We were slaves, exposed

Declaring Gods Word

Made and Bought by Him

ere is a parable I told to a group of Polynesian Maoris, who are

Out of One Kingdominto Another

he Lord redeemed us so that we are no longer in the hand of the

Declaring Gods Word

Full Rights of Redemption

n Ephesians 1:7, we see this provision of the blood of Jesus:

The forgiveness of our sins is purchased for us by the blood of

Declaring Gods Word

Settling All Claims

Two Directions of Forgiveness

orgiveness is one of the most beautiful words in any language. What

Declaring Gods Word

ne of the most wondrous aspects of Gods nature is that when

The Countless Blessings of Forgiveness

Declaring Gods Word

Acknowledging Our Sin

Declaring Gods Word

ne provision of the precious blood of Jesus is cleansing.

But if we walk in the light as He [Jesus] is in the light, we have

Declaring Gods Word

Cleansing Here and Now

y personal testimony based on the statement above would be,

Fulfilling the Conditions

Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim my wholehearted

Declaring Gods Word

Bringing Sin to the Light

ellowship is the place of light. This is why fellowship is a place of