There is a very real God whose presence you can know, whose hand you can hold, who will speak with you and His voice will not be somewhere in the distance, but rather IN you. He loves you and wants to live with you and through you!

The sacrifice of the holy blood of Jesus that covered the sins of all people is enough! Scripture says that now anyone can come to the throne of grace with boldness because we were all covered with the blood of Jesus, and the keys of the kingdom were given to each one of us!

Scripture says we are to “love others as we love ourselves” (Mark 12:33, author’s paraphrase).  Maybe the reason there is so much harsh treatment of others is that people hate themselves. They don’t see themselves as good enough or worthy enough, and they project the same attitude toward those around them!

If you are all that is on your mind, then your thinking is very small! When you place your hurts in the hands of Jesus, then you’re free to heal the hurts of others. What He has done for you is now your privilege to do for others.

Thoughts can be deadly. Even in the natural process of healing our thought life plays a direct role in the chemicals released into the rest of the body. Wrong thinking can be a toxic killer if allowed to make deep ruts in our thinking. This means if you allow lust, anger, hatred, envy and jealousy to dominate your thought life, the poison they contain has the power to destroy your life.

It doesn’t matter how bad your past is. You might say your sins are as dark as mud, but even a glass of mud will become drinkable if you keep pouring clean, fresh water into it. A field of weeds will produce wheat if you start putting new seeds into the soil!

The most dangerous time is to deal with a beehive is when the bees have stopped producing honey and the hive is full. Bees with no work to do become agitated and begin to look at the beekeeper and each other as enemies, so they begin to sting. The same thing happens in the church when it loses the larger purpose of reaching out to others. They begin an inward-spiraling cycle of backbiting, scorn, and criticism that can cause destruction to the church and the very people they are called to work with!

What does the world need? They need a revelation of the Father—John 3:16—“For God so loved the world.”  Do you understand how powerful that is, or have you just skimmed over the surface? Do you take it lightly, or do you realize that this love broke the power of every demonic power that exists?

Paul had an interesting view of himself. He thought of himself as a man who had died and awakened to a second chance at life. He considered himself a dead man, yet still breathing. Dead men do not get offended at other men. Dead men do not scream back when they are screamed at. Dead men can be poked, kicked, mocked, and spit upon, and they still do not respond. The devil and his followers have no weapons when Christians do not respond in fear to their evil threats and actions.

If we could see people through God’s eyes then we would win the world, but instead we see them through our own eyes, labeling them with a big sign that says “Sinner.” Have you ever asked how much that “sinner” is worth?  How much God paid for them?  It was the price of His Son.  How much are you and I worth?  The same. The difference is, they don’t know it.  When we truly understand this, we will be motivated to tell them.