Read Every Day with Jesus Online

Authors: Andrew Wommack

Every Day with Jesus (3 page)

BOOK: Every Day with Jesus
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2 Corinthians 9:1-15

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

Do you think Jesus was selfish in any way? And yet, if you really study the Gospels, it is obvious Jesus never wanted for anything. Furthermore, He had so much money that He had to have a treasurer. (John 13:29.) Yet most Christians oppose financial prosperity because they equate it with greed. No doubt many Christians err in this regard, but it is the love of money that is the root of all evil not money itself. (1 Tim. 6:10.)

True prosperity as the Bible teaches and Jesus practiced it is not selfish or greedy. Jesus had a lot because He gave away a lot. As this verse says, the Lord prospers us so we can have enough to give to every good work. Those who are unable to give to everything they would like haven’t yet reached the level of prosperity God has provided for them.

Another verse that makes this point is Ephesians 4:28, which says, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” God prospers you so you can bless others. When you understand the biblical concept of prosperity isn’t selfish at all, you want to prosper so you can be a blessing to others.

Believers who say, “I have enough and would never ask God for any more,” reveal that they think prosperity is just for them. With that attitude, it would be selfish to believe for more money. They think they are being holy by just getting their bare needs met. But once they see that prosperity isn’t only for them, that they can be a channel of God’s supply to others, this “I have enough” attitude will be exposed for what it is: silly and self-righteous!

What is your reason for wanting to prosper? Is it all for selfish gain, or do you want to be a blessing to others? Today, instead of thinking about all your financial needs and desires, look around you and consider the needs and desires of others. Stir up a desire to meet those needs. Then you will have the right motivation to prosper. If God can get it through you, He’ll get it to you.

January 20: Settle Your Doubts

John 1:43-51

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

John 1:46

Nathanael suffered from a skepticism that afflicts many people today. Jesus is nothing more than someone who has caused a lot of trouble between people. All this “Jesus is the only way,” talk is divisive, and many people think nothing good comes from Christianity. Like Nathanael, they are doubters.

It is to Nathanael’s credit that he came to Jesus and gave Him a chance to prove who other people like Philip said He was. We can only speculate what it was that Jesus saw Nathanael doing under that fig tree (v. 50), but it is clear that it was something that proved beyond a doubt to him that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus didn’t rebuke Nathanael for his doubts; instead, He removed them.

Jesus is the Living Word, and His Word has an answer for every doubt that we or anyone we encounter might have. We need to be honest and forthright before Him as Nathanael was (v. 47), and we need to go to Him when we are plagued with doubts instead of running from or avoiding Him. Jesus knows what we go through in life; He’s been there. (Ps. 103:14.) It is not a sin to doubt, but it becomes sin if we harbor those doubts, never go to the Lord with them, and allow unbelief to take hold of our hearts and minds.

Be like Nathanael today and bring any doubts you have concerning your faith to Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit teach you the truth from His Word. I guarantee that you will be changed.

January 21: Just Do It!

John 2:1-11

His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

John 2:5

Mary knew Jesus like no one else did at this point in His life. Although it is certain she knew Jesus was no ordinary man, her request to provide the guests with more wine reflected her belief that He could do things others could not. Her instructions to the servants were, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” This shows that she not only knew Jesus could work miracles, but she knew His way of doing things did not always conform to conventional thought.

Sure enough, Jesus told the servants to fill the pots with water and then take it to the governor of the feast. This defied logic. Everyone knew the guests wanted more wine, not water. Yet at Mary’s bidding these servants did exactly what Jesus told them to do, and the results were wonderful. The water turned to the very best wine.

This miracle would not have taken place if the servants had not done what seemed foolish to them. The Lord’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. (Isa. 55:8.) To see His miraculous power in our lives, we must do whatever He tells us to do, regardless of how foolish it may seem.

The foolishness of God is always wiser than the wisdom of men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor. 1:25.) Today, whatsoever He says unto you, just do it!

January 22: Faith and Hope

Hebrews 11:1-6

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

There is a direct relationship between faith and hope. You can’t have one without the other. Faith gives substance to things we hope for. Remove hope, and faith has no goal to achieve. A story that illustrates this is about a hillbilly who wandered into a church service. As the people started praising the Lord, the temperature in the sanctuary began to rise. He saw an usher walk over to the wall and turn a dial on a little white box. Within seconds cool air blew out of a vent onto this hillbilly’s face. Utterly amazed, he thought this must be one of the greatest things he’d ever experienced!

Immediately he asked the usher what the device was and how he could get one. The usher told him it was a thermostat and all hardware stores sold them. The man could hardly wait to get out of the church service and buy one. After purchasing a thermostat, he took it home and mounted it on the wall of his house; but no matter how much he turned the dial, cool air never came out.

This man didn’t realize that the thermostat didn’t produce the cool air. It only turned the power unit on and off. That’s a beautiful picture of the way faith and hope work together. Hope is your thermostat. It activates your faith. Although your faith is the power that overcomes the world, hope is the victory your faith moves to achieve. Remove hope, and faith will never be activated. Faith must have a goal.

Let God build a strong hope in you today, and then release all your faith behind it.

January 23: There Is a Righteous Anger

John 2:12-14

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables.

John 2:15

Jesus brought the message of “love your enemies” to the world and demonstrated it in such a way that some people have forgotten instances like this, when Jesus clearly showed anger.

Anger can be a godly emotion. Ephesians 4:26 tells us to “be angry and sin not.” There is a righteous type of anger that is not sin. However, Ephesians 4:26 goes on to say, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” That doesn’t mean it is all right to be angry during daylight as long as we repent by bedtime. Rather, it speaks of how to handle this righteous type of anger. We are never to let it rest. We are not to put it to bed, but we are to keep ourselves stirred up against the things of the devil.

Throughout the Bible we are told to hate evil. (Ps. 45:7; 119:104,116; Prov. 8:17; Rom. 12:9.) When we see the enemy kill, steal, and destroy, it should make us angry! The key to distinguishing between a righteous anger and a carnal anger is recognizing who or what is the object of our anger. Godly anger is directed at the devil with no consideration of self, but carnal anger is self-centered and directed at people who hurt or offend us in some way. (Eph. 6:12.)

If you are angry with anyone today, forgive them and turn them over to God. But if you are furious with the devil for hurting or harming you or someone else, you are in full agreement with Jesus. Remember that He hates all evil. For that reason He defeated Satan and all the demons (Col. 2:15), and He has purchased total peace and victory for you.

January 24: The Joy of Being Born Again

John 3:1-21

Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

John 3:10

Nicodemus was a highly educated man in religious matters, yet he didn’t have the slightest idea what Jesus was talking about when Jesus told him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (v. 3).

Nicodemus’ relationship with God was purely academic. He knew a lot about God, but he didn’t personally know God. Being the Son of God, Jesus had a uniquely intimate relationship with the Father that intrigued Nicodemus. He sought to understand it, and Jesus told him that this same kind of relationship was available to him through being “born again.”

Of course, Nicodemus asked in verse four, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” Jesus explained that being one with God spiritually happens only when a person’s spirit is reborn and regenerated by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. He said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (vv. 5,6).

The number-one thing that sets Christianity apart from religion is the born again experience. We don’t just have a sure way to get to heaven; we have been born from above. We have God’s Holy Spirit living in our spirits, and we are in constant communion with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Our eternal life is not just after our physical bodies die; it is the quality of life and spiritual blessing that we live in from the moment we are born again.

Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. As a believer, you have the exciting privilege of having continual fellowship with God your Father and Jesus your Lord and Savior through the Holy Spirit who lives inside you. Today, enjoy being born again.

January 25: The Greatest Prophet

John 3:22-37

He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

Jesus said in Luke 7:28, “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” I believe the story of John shows us the main reason Jesus called him the greatest prophet that ever lived.

John the Baptist spent thirty years in preparation for his ministry. He didn’t enjoy the normal benefits of childhood or adolescence. He lived out in the desert, away from people and separated unto God. (Luke 1:80.) Then finally, for approximately six months he enjoyed success in ministry like no other man ever had. The multitudes flocked to the wilderness to hear him preach. He became the most influential man in Israel and was known to the Roman rulers.

Then one day he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and proclaimed Him the Messiah. (Matt. 3:13-17; John 1:29.) From that moment on, the multitudes and even his own disciples began to follow Jesus in ever-increasing numbers. This would have destroyed most men; but when he was questioned about it, John replied, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Shortly after that he was imprisoned (Matt. 4:12), and after one-and-a-half years in a dark cell, he was beheaded.

John’s greatness didn’t lie in his own success but in the success of another. Jesus owed much of His success to the preparatory work of John. In our celebrity-conscious society, few people want to be the backup singer or the stage manager. We have adopted a mentality that unless we are in the limelight we are nothing. That’s not the way Jesus sees things! He taught in Matthew 23:11, “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Surely John the Baptist was the greatest prophet because he was a great servant to Jesus. His life and Jesus’ commendation for him is all you need to inspire you to be a great servant to Jesus and everyone you meet today.

January 26: Act on Your Faith

James 2:14-26

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

James 2:17

On December 30, 1973, I hurt my back very badly. I experienced excruciating pain and couldn’t straighten up. I could barely talk, and my shoulder blades were nearly touching each other. It was the night before I was to be ordained into the ministry, and all I could think about was what a terrible testimony this would be at my ordination.

I prayed in faith that I was healed, and then I began to resist the pain and the devil by acting on my prayer of faith. I did push-ups, deep-knee bends, bent over and touched my toes, and anything else I didn’t feel like doing. There was improvement, but I didn’t have a total release. I took a shower and was washing my hair to get ready for the service. It hurt terribly to bend my head under the spout, but I knew I was healed and was determined to act like it. In between the first and second rinse, all the pain left, and I was completely normal.

Imagine a person in a burning building. They believe they will die if they don’t get out of the building, but they just sit there. That is crazy, isn’t it? Likewise, faith without the proper action isn’t genuine faith at all. We must act according to what we are believing. In my case, I needed healing in my back, so I used my back as though I was already healed-because I was!

People who say they believe God for prosperity, but don’t give, are deceiving themselves. A person who says, “I’m healed,” but continues to act sick and dwell on their symptoms, is killing whatever faith they have. A person who intercedes for someone and then worries whether anything will ever happen is not acting in faith. True biblical faith must be acted upon. Therefore, act on what you believe today.

January 27: The Light to See Where You Are Going

BOOK: Every Day with Jesus
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