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Showing posts from November, 2011

Called to Excellence

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria In today’s society, many people have accepted mediocrity as the norm. They do as little as they can to get by, always looking for the easy way out. If the boss isn’t watching, they’re playing on the computer. They simply go to work to pick up a paycheck, then wonder why they’re not promoted and don’t see increase. It’s because God doesn’t bless mediocrity; He blesses excellence. Whatever we do, we should do it to the best of our ability and set the standard. Remember, you are ultimately working for the Lord. He’s the one who put those talents and abilities in you. You are a steward of the gifts He’s given. Other people may show up late. They may complain. They may cut corners. But don’t sink down to their level — you are working for Almighty God. You are called to excellence! I encourage you today, stay determined. S

Loading Up

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits...” (Psalm 68:19, NKJ) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria This morning when you woke up, what was the first thing that went through your mind? Maybe you have a deadline to meet or a to-do list a mile long. Maybe you are facing a challenge or going through a difficulty in a relationship that’s consuming your thoughts. Today, I want to encourage you, instead of focusing on what your circumstances have to offer, focus on what God has to offer you. His mercies are new every morning, and His compassion never fails. He has victory in store for you today. He has provision in store for you today. He has joy in store for you today, and He has peace in store for you today. He daily loads you with benefits! The key to “loading up” these daily benefits is setting your focus in the right direction. You can’t wait to see how you feel, what kind of mood your spouse is in, or what the traffic is like. No, you have to set

Faith in Action

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE "No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God" (Romans 4:20 AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Just as putting your physical body into action makes it grow strong, putting your faith in action through prayer and thanksgiving will cause your faith to grow strong, too. I love what this verse says about Abraham: No unbelief made him waver regarding the promise of God. What does it mean to waver? To waver means to go back and forth. It's a very unsteady posture. Spiritual wavering is when we go back and forth in believing the promises of God. Wavering shows up in our words and actions. Notice this verse didn't say that Abraham never had unbelief or doubtful thoughts. It tells us that he didn't let those thoughts cause him to waver in his words, actions and resolve. He took captive every thought and stood strong

You Were Planned

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…" (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria What an amazing thought: God knew you before you were even born! He saw your unformed substance and said, "I have a purpose for this life. I have good plans for them!" Then He breathed His life into you and sent you through your mother and father. They may have had issues, but that doesn't have to stop you from becoming all that God intended you to be. You have been handpicked by Almighty God to be here at this time in history! Sometimes we hear parents say, "We weren't expecting this child. They were a surprise. They were an accident." No, that child may have been a surprise to you, but they weren't a surprise to Almighty God. No child can be born without God breathing His life into them. You may think, "Well, Joel, I was unwanted. I was an unplanned pregnancy." No, you wouldn't be here if God didn't g

This is the Will of God

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria So many people today wonder what God’s will is for their lives. Oftentimes, they look for big things like signs and supernatural events. But really, God’s will for us unfolds each and every day as we obey Him and serve Him with a thankful heart. When you wake up every morning with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving, you just took a step toward your destiny — you are walking in the will of God. When you go throughout your day thanking God that His hand of blessing is upon you, thanking Him for ordering your steps, thanking Him for a new day, you are taking another step in His will. Today, remember to keep the right perspective. We should have goals and dreams and look forward to a bright future, but the way you live your life today is what’s going to get you to where you need to be tomorrow. Keep praising, keep bel

Faith Says Thank You

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34, AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria No matter what is going on in life, you can find a reason to thank God. What you dwell on is what you will draw into your life. You can either focus on your problems, or you can focus on your blessings. The question is: do you want more problems, or do you want more blessings? One thing I’ve noticed is that when you live with an attitude of constant gratitude, not only do you thank God for what He’s done in your life, you start thanking Him for what He will do in your life. You thank Him for opening doors for you. You thank Him for increasing you. You thank Him for bringing the right people into your life. When you say “thank you” to God for the things that are coming, it’s really a declaration of your faith in Him. You are saying in essence, “God, I’m so sure of Your goodness, I’m so sure that You’re workin

The Way to Enter

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4, NKJ) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria What a wonderful privilege we have to enter boldly to His throne of grace. I’m so glad we serve a personal God who desires a relationship with you and me. I’m so glad we have access to Him 24 hours a day, seven days a week! But notice, today’s verse tells that we shouldn’t just come any old way to God. We shouldn’t come empty-handed to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. What do we have that’s worthy of Almighty God? Our praise. Our thanksgiving. Our worship. We are to enter His gates with an offering from our hearts of adoration because He is so worthy! We have to understand, praise isn’t just about singing songs on Sunday mornings. Praise is the expression of gratefulness to Father God for Who He is and all that He has done. Praise gets God’s attention. Praise is a powerful tool in the lif

Faith in Action

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE "No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God" (Romans 4:20 AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Just as putting your physical body into action makes it grow strong, putting your faith in action through prayer and thanksgiving will cause your faith to grow strong, too. I love what this verse says about Abraham: No unbelief made him waver regarding the promise of God. What does it mean to waver? To waver means to go back and forth. It's a very unsteady posture. Spiritual wavering is when we go back and forth in believing the promises of God. Wavering shows up in our words and actions. Notice this verse didn't say that Abraham never had unbelief or doubtful thoughts. It tells us that he didn't let those thoughts cause him to waver in his words, actions and resolve. He took captive every thought and stood strong

Calling Forth Seeds of Greatness

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE "Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him" (Jeremiah 17:7, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Today, I want to declare words of blessing over you. I want to call forth your seeds of greatness. Someone may have told you what you can't become, but I'm here to tell you what you can become. As a believer in Jesus, all of the blessings in His Word belong to you! Receive it by faith today! You are a person of destiny. You are equipped. You are talented. You are creative. You were designed for a purpose. You are loved, chosen and accepted by Almighty God. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more and nothing you can do to make Him love you less. His grace is sufficient for you. His angels have charge over you. You are blessed coming in and blessed going out. You have uncommon wisdom. You have uncommon joy. You have uncommon peace. He is your vindicator, and He will fight for you! No weapon formed against

Consider Your God!

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria I had a gentleman tell me not long ago that his business was very, very slow. It looked like he would go under. He owned a small manufacturing company with one main competitor in town, a national company that was bigger with more resources. With the economy down, it made it harder and harder for him to stay open. This man was flexible about what he should do next, but he really believed he was in the business God wanted him to be in. So, he kept praying, believing and hoping; and instead of considering his circumstances, he considered his God. And just when he thought he was going to have to close down, his main competitor had a change in leadership and direction and decided to pull out of this market. Now he’s breaking all kinds of records. Friend, today I want to encourage you. If there’s something coming against you, consider your God. He has a way to meet every one

Dream It, Believe It,

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Learning to walk in the destiny God has for you is a process. The first step is to get a vision, a clear picture from God that you can see. The next step is to trust Him — to believe in faith that it will happen. And then finally, you take a step of faith and live out what God has promised no matter what your circumstances or people around you have to say. First you dream it, than you believe it, and then you live it. Every dream I’ve ever received from God has followed this same pattern. We see in scripture that even the great men and women of the Bible walked through this process. They had to overcome doubts, they struggled on their journey, but they held fast to what God said knowing that He is faithful to complete what He started in us! Today, if you are having a hard time bel

You Were Planned

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…" (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria What an amazing thought: God knew you before you were even born! He saw your unformed substance and said, "I have a purpose for this life. I have good plans for them!" Then He breathed His life into you and sent you through your mother and father. They may have had issues, but that doesn't have to stop you from becoming all that God intended you to be. You have been handpicked by Almighty God to be here at this time in history! Sometimes we hear parents say, "We weren't expecting this child. They were a surprise. They were an accident." No, that child may have been a surprise to you, but they weren't a surprise to Almighty God. No child can be born without God breathing His life into them. You may think, "Well, Joel, I was unwanted. I was an unplanned pregnancy." No, you wouldn't be here if God didn't g

In All Your Ways

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6, NKJ) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Do you need direction in your life? Ask yourself, “Am I acknowledging God in all my ways?” In other words, is He first place in your life? All throughout the day, we should be acknowledging God, asking for His help, seeking His wisdom, obeying His commands and thanking Him for His goodness. In the morning, we should wake up and say, “Father, thank You for another beautiful day. I commit this day, my plans and my future into Your hands.” When you start the day like this, you are acknowledging God. He promises to crown your day with success. When you are driving on the freeway say, “Father, thank You for keeping me safe.” At the office say, “Lord, help me to be focused and productive today.” At home, “Father, bless my children.” Before you go to bed, “Lord, thank You for a good night’s rest.” When you’re acknowledging Him in all your ways, He

Get Filled Up!

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Sometimes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in taking care of the people around us. You may find that you’re always giving, taking care of the children, working overtime at the office, or helping that friend who is struggling. And that’s all good. But if you’re not careful, you can end up feeling rundown. That’s why you have to take time every day to get filled back up. Your first priority should be taking care of yourself and making time to get into the presence of Jesus. Throughout scripture, we see that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy, fullness of peace, and fullness of victory. In His presence, you’re refreshed and restored. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to read your Bible and meditate on His promises. We have to be diligent to have that quiet time with Him. Today, take time to get alone with