“Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and also we will possess with Christ what God has kept for him! For if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory! I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:17-18 (TEV)

A Harvard study found that the more long-term your thinking is, the more successful you will be in life. And the more short-term your thinking is, the less successful you will be.

Unsuccessful people only think about the here and now – what feels good now, what is nice now, and what gives results now. But if you think in the long-term, you will have greater success, because you are willing to put up with short-term pain to gain long-term benefits.

The reason America is in the financial mess it’s in right now is because of our inability to delay gratification. We don’t know how to say no. We say, “I want it and I want it now, even if I have to charge it and can’t pay for it,” and the debt has caught up with us. That’s what little kids do. They don’t know the difference between “no” and “not yet.” They have to have it now.

If you want God’s blessing on your life, you must focus on the long-term, not the short-term. You can’t allow hopelessness that comes from short-term thinking to take hold in your heart or you will get discouraged and give up too soon.

As Christians, we have the longest-term perspective of anybody – it’s called eternity – because we know life doesn’t end at death. We will transition to the eternal life which is going to go on forever and ever. So we live in light of eternity, not in light of current popularity, current comfort, and current conditions.

If you are feeling hopeless because of current struggles you are experiencing, keep in mind the words of the Apostle Paul: “[W]hat we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:17 TEV).

In heaven, there will be rewards for you based on the stewardship of your time, money, talents, and the things that God put in your hands. Did you manage them well? Did you use them wisely? Did you live for the here and now with short-term thinking, or did you focus on the long-term and store up treasure in heaven?

Question: How far ahead are you living for?

Are you tired of living a defeated Christian life? Learn how you can find significance.

“Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

“If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

The young man said to Him “All these I have done from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow Me.” (taken from Matthew 19:16-212, NKJV)

Are we “doing the commandments” or are we following Jesus? The difference between the two is the carnal mindset verses the surrendered Spirit-filled life. The carnal mind practices religion, knowing the rules and doing “all the right things.” The Spirit-filled life is a relationship with Jesus that knows His heart and His voice and lives in His presence and will, moment to moment.

When we are living in a carnal mindset, we can experience a lot of frustration, lack of fulfillment, difficulty in reading, enjoying, and understanding the Word, inconsistent prayer life, unanswered prayer, broken relationships, fear, discouragement, and a lack of the fruit of the spirit.

The experience of the Spirit-filled Christian is peace, joy, a love for and desire to spend time in His Word. It is a rich prayer life that brings results, faith, boldness, healthy relationships, and the ability to know His presence and recognize His voice in the Word, in nature, through others, or the still small voice in your spirit.

“If anyone serves me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (John 12:26 NKJV).

Living the Spirit-filled life is a decision we make each day. Ask yourself the question, “Can I honestly say that today I have done what God has asked of me?” If you have responded with repentance in the areas that He has convicted you of sin, stepped up and done the good works that He has put before you, and if your heart is to seek first His kingdom, then you are practicing walking in His will and His Spirit.

Lord, I surrender myself and my plans to you today, convict and forgive me of any sin that hinders me from hearing your voice and knowing your direction. Fill me up with your Holy Spirit that I can live this day engaged with you, knowing Your presence, and being Your hands and feet to the people around me.  Amen.

Questions: Can you honestly say that today you have done what God has asked of you? What is the result of a Spirit-filled life?

Searching for meaning to existence? In this study we will explore meaning and value of self-control.

“Then [Jesus] said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

What are the things you do daily? Maybe you make your bed, hopefully you brush your teeth, probably you check your email, certainly you eat and sleep every day. Whether you are a disciplined person who thrives on order and routine or an easy going, “go with the flow” kind of person, there are some things that you do every single day of your life.

Jesus said that in order to be His disciple, you must do these things every day:

•    Deny yourself,
•    Take up your cross,
•    Follow Jesus.

Daily we are called to say no to the cravings of our selfish nature, to choose what God wants rather than what we want, to exalt Him rather than ourselves. Daily we are instructed to bear the burdens of this sinful world through the power of Jesus name. Daily we are asked to walk the way Jesus walked, to think about things that are right and pure, to act in a way that is loving and kind; in every decision, to surrender ourselves to God’s will and God’s way.

It is not an easy road.

Indeed, when Jesus said hard things many turned away. “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him” (John 6:66). Yet, I pray that you will respond to Jesus – like Peter did – when He asked the twelve if they also wanted to leave: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68, 69).

Holy God, I want to follow You. By the power of Your Holy Spirit may I daily deny myself, take up my cross and follow You. Amen.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Living a self-controlled life (life lesson)

Questions: What does taking up your cross mean to you? How do you respond to hard teachings from Jesus?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

Searching for meaning to existence? Tell us your thoughts

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The Chinese man shivered and pulled the collar of his shabby coat up around his neck to protect himself from the pelting rain.  Through the darkness of the night he saw the lights of a rescue mission, and they seemed to offer a place of shelter.  Following another man in, he found himself in a chapel.  He fell into a seat at the rear, groggily wondering why people were singing.

Then some men stood up to tell about how Jesus Christ had saved them from a life of sin, alcohol and drugs, from the power those things once had over their lives.  The miserable man looked up hopefully.  How long he had sought release from the bondage of opium–the “demon on his back”!  After twenty-three times in sanitariums, he was still a slave.

The speaker also told how Jesus Christ delivers from sin and enslaving habits.  At an invitation, the man stumbled forward to seek deliverance.  It took the workers at the mission three days to bring the man to a coherent state.  Then they asked him, “Did you really mean it when you came forward to receive Jesus Christ?”

“I have just one question,” the man said.  “Did Jesus Christ die for the Chinese too?”

“Yes,” came the answer.  “Christ died for all people.”

“Then I want Him for my Savior,” said the man.  Instantly and finally delivered from his long enslavement, the happy man became a faithful witness for Christ, telling all he met about how Christ had delivered him from the drug habit and had saved his soul and life.

What a wonderful thing it is to realize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not limited to only one nation or for only one type of person.  The Bible says, “And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’” (Revelation 5:9).

God’s Salvation Plan
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ” (Romans 6:23).

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:9, 13).

Are You Saved?

Many people think they are Christians, but what if they have never truly received Jesus Christ as their Savior?  How about you? Do you hope you will go to heaven someday, perhaps because you think you are a good person, or go to church, or got baptized? Well, to get to heaven, we have to do it God’s way, as the above Scriptures specify. On the other hand, do you think that you are too bad to be saved, too unworthy?

Well, no one is worthy!  The good news is that Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross just as He did for that poor enslaved Chinese.  Why not bow your head right now and, humbly repenting, receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. Ask Him to save you and transform your life.  And He will! He’s only a prayer away.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: How to be sure you are a Christian

Questions: Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior? Why don’t you tell us about a time when you first decided to follow Jesus.

About the Author Muriel Larson

Evidence #1: True Christians obey God. First John 2:3 says, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” Jesus said that only those who do the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21). No one is perfect, but true Christians try to follow their master up the narrow way (Matthew 7:14). Jesus said that those who don’t take their cross and follow Him are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38). Salvation is free, but to get it we need to repent our sins, realize that Jesus died for them on the cross, and receive Him as our Savior (Luke 13:3).

Evidence #2: True Christians love God, not the world. First John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” This doesn’t mean we can’t have enjoyment in life. It means that we heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit concerning anything in our lives of which God doesn’t approve. Christians aren’t bound by rules; they are led by the Holy Spirit.

Evidence #3: True Christians are anointed by the Holy Spirit and know the truth (1 John 2:20). According to John 2:18-23, the truth is that Jesus is the Christ. Those who deny the Son haven’t the Father. True Christians believe Jesus is who He said He is: I AM (John 8:58). I AM is one of God’s names (Exodus 3:14). The true Christian believes that Jesus Christ is God (1 John 4:15).

Evidence #4: True Christians do not practice sin (1 John 3:9). We all do wrong things, but if we’re true Christians we will repent and turn from our sins. As long as we’re out of God’s will, we will feel miserable.

Evidence #5: True Christians love their fellow Christians, according to First John 3:14-15. They will have hearts of compassion toward them, the desire to help them. And they will love others too.

Evidence #6: True Christians have the witness of the Spirit in their hearts, according to Galatians 4:6.

The Apostle John said by inspiration of God, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

If you do not have this assurance, look up in the Gospel of John these verses: 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; 7:37-38; 12:25-26; 24-26; 14:6, 23; 16:24. Check out this website.

One further word: Ephesians 4:22-32 does say that Christians may backslide into old ways. This website can help restore a backslidden Christian.

Questions: Are you a true follower of Jesus Christ?  How can you know that you are truly a Christian?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Feeling lonely and unloved? We’re here. Talk to us.

It could give you direction. “What should I be in life?” you could ask. Pressing buttons, you’d list your interests, your talents, your training. And the answer would come. You ask advice on something. Red light flash! Watch out, look where you’re going! Just think of the problems it could save you.

It could give you self-control, peace, joy, hope for the future. It could even give you eternal life. Wow! You touch the right key–and zap! You’re immortal!

How to get this wonderful gift:

You have to go to your manufacturer – with a capital “M.” Yes, it’s God who wants to provide your new Central Processing Unit. Actually, He is a Person who can do all those things and more for you: God the Holy Spirit. To receive Him, we have to turn in our own defective personal computer.

The Holy Spirit urges us to be truly sorry for our sins and turn from them. And He makes it personal, so that we understand how much God’s Son suffered for love of us. Then He urges us to receive Christ as our Savior. The Bible says, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

When you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into you and causes you to be “born again” into God’s family (1 Peter 1:23), to become a totally new person. He becomes your helper, your guide, and your source of power. He can make you beautiful inside and out, with His fruit: love, peace, joy, goodness, gentleness, patience, humility, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

But what if you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior and you have fallen away from following Him, and the new spiritual PC you received has not been in operation? The old clunker (otherwise known as “old self”) has been in control of your life. What can you do?

Like a Father, the Lord has been waiting for you to come back to Him and have your new PC restored. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Oh, come back and claim your wonderful inheritance!

Questions: Is your old self in control of your life?  What can you do about it?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Do you believe in life after death? Questions? Ask us.

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

Are you facing trouble or hardship or persecution? Is conflict in your marriage, a loss of a job or illness weighing you down? Has your family disowned you or your friend deserted you? Are you experiencing a famine of food or a famine of hope? Is there danger or death gathering on the horizon?

Then let me remind you that:

•    God chose you. (Romans 8:29-30)
•    God is your powerful ally. (Romans 8:31)
•    God gave up His Son for you, so He will look after you. (Romans 8:32)
•    Nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:39)

We can be confident of these truths because, “Jesus Christ, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

Can death separate us from God’s love?
No. Through Jesus we have the promise of eternal life. (John 3:16)

Can life isolate us from God’s love?
No.  God has promised to be with us always. (Matthew 28:20)

Can angels or demons keep us from God’s love?
No. Though there are spiritual forces at work in our world, God is greater than them all. (Matthew 10:28)

Can present troubles or future fears cut us off from God’s love?
No.  God is the great “I AM”; the God who is and was and is to come. (Rev 1:8)

Can any powers that man or Satan exert over us defeat God’s love?
No.  The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

Thank you Holy God that because of Jesus, nothing can separate me from Your love.  Amen.

Questions: What is your best reminder of God’s love for you? How can you encourage others to be confident in God’s love?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

Searching for meaning to existence? We can pray for you.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the responsibility that all of us as the children of God have to reach the lost. When I consider everything that Jesus went through to make salvation possible, I would never want his suffering on my behalf to be taken lightly.  If He would have done all of that for even one of us, than it is very important to Him that everyone has the chance to come to know Him and receive eternal life.

His part was to give His life.  Our part is to partner with Him by being willing to lay down our life to be His witness, and to share the truth about what He did with others. We are His “search and rescue team.”

For many of us this is scary territory. We may have taken the risk in the past only to experience rejection or backlash.  How can we share our faith with peace and confidence?

Remember first that Jesus told the disciples to “wait” until they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)? It was absolutely necessary for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to witness successfully. So our first step is to be sure that we are filled with the Spirit by fully surrendering our lives to Christ.

Keep in mind that being filled is not a one time event but an ongoing daily decision by keeping sin out of our lives. Ask God to show you who He would like you to witness to and begin to pray for that person. Now you are in position for the Holy Spirit to lead you, show you the opportunities, and give you the words. Remember, the true sign of love is obedience (1 John 2:5).  Simply do what the Holy Spirit shows you, it could be anything from an act of kindness to sharing your testimony with a clear gospel message. Then leave the results with God.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:12-14, NKJV).

Questions: What is most necessary in order to witness for Christ successfully?

About the Author Emmie Stanley

Feeling pressure to be perfect? Not content? This study talks about that.

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, 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 in of sin” (Romans 6:4- (NKJV).

So often when we think of the cross, we see Jesus in His crucified state, reminding us that He died on our behalf, paying the price of our sins and giving us the gift of eternal life. Without a doubt, that right there is more than we could ever comprehend or express enough thanks for. But as they say on the infomercials, “ wait, there’s more!” The story and the promises were not completed in Christ’s death, but through His resurrection!

It is the resurrection that is the victory, and the fulfillment of the promise that we will have eternal life. Because of Christ’s triumph over death, He has the authority to take back for us everything that the enemy stole. It is the place of power, dominion, hope, overcoming sin, and full out abundant living. God invites us to live in the fullness of this resurrection life through the power of His Holy Spirit.  When we live in faith, believing what He says and trusting Him to bring it to pass, we are accessing and experiencing the reality of His resurrection. If however, we live in defeat, doubt and ineffectiveness, it is as though we still see Jesus as being dead.

So when you think of the cross, are you seeing Jesus still hanging there, or do you live in the power of the resurrection and experience the fruitful and abundant life that demonstrates to those around you that He is risen? The secret to living in resurrection life is to surrender and lay down our own lives, and allow Him to live His life through us. That is the victory of the cross!

“Most assuredly, I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it does, it produces much grain” (John 12:24 (NJKV).

Questions: Is your Christian life a life of defeat, doubt and ineffectiveness? How can you live and experience the fruitful and abundant life that Christ promised?

About the Author Emmie Stanley

Missing the mark of being perfect?  Try this study course.

I think that describes a great many people’s experience with religion. It is too elusive, too hard to grasp. At first, they are attracted to the brightness, the newness. But it requires too much effort.  The concepts slip through their fingers. Try as they might, they just poop out from trying so hard – trying so hard to be perfect, or to be good enough to be able to commune with God, or trying to change to become a better person. So they try a different brand of religion, but the same thing happens. Too many rules, too hard to do.

But is that what Christ requires? No. What He requires is that we follow Him. We do not have to be perfect or chase after happiness. We do not have to be good enough to get in God’s favor. That is what is elusive – there is no way we can. But the truth is this – Christ has done that for us. The gift is there within our reach. We just need to grasp it.

Scripture tells us after the crowds, who mainly came to be healed, heard Jesus’ teachings, they went away. They did not understand what Christ was offering – it was Himself.

“From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave, too do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve” (John 6:66-67, NIV).

Too many people just do not realize that true happiness does not have to be an elusive dream. However, it does require effort on their part. Jesus came to save us, to bring the Light to the world, but it is up to us to respond. We have to reach out to the Light and take it into our hearts.

Unlike our cats with the toy, the Good News is that we do not have to chase after godliness and happiness all of our lives and possibly never get it. It is attainable. God presents it to us through His Son. Salvation through Christ is solid. It will not slip through our fingers. It is the one true thing we can hold fast to.

Simon Peter got it right. He simply replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (vs. 68).

Question: Have you felt you were chasing after happiness, yet it seemed just out of reach? Tell us about it.

About the Author Julie Cosgrove