The Daily Dose

What are you waiting for?

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. ”Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  2 Corinthians 6:2

Have you ever heard someone say “Some day I’ll get my life right with God” or “Before I die, I will call on Him”?  The problem with that statement is that day will never come.  There will always be an excuse or time to put it off.

I used to have that mentality.  I was living far from God, but I always had it in my mind that I would find my way back to Him somehow.  Like it was within my power to pull myself out of the pit I was in and raise myself up to Him.  That’s not how it worked out at all.  There came a day when I hit rock bottom and I cried out to God to come to my rescue.  Of course, He did, but I was in so deep there was no way I could get out of that mess by myself.

People that think this way are fooling themselves.  Some people even go so far as to question why God has gotten their life into such a mess.  Even though they have never included Him or talked to Him, He still gets the blame. They don’t realize that God comes when we call on Him.  Sure, we have to make the decision, but He will not come and rescue you and then keep you from falling into the next ditch if you do not turn it all over to Him.  There has to be a surrendered and changed heart.

In today’s key verse, God wants us to know that He will come and rescue us and He wants to do it today!  Right now.  He doesn’t want us to spend anymore time in the trouble we have made.  He doesn’t want us to struggle our way through every circumstance of life.  He has a perfect plan for each of us and although we may not execute it perfectly, His grace is perfect to get us through.  In fact in the first verse of this chapter, Paul begs with us not to receive God’s grace in vain.  He is saying, don’t receive God’s grace and then not live by it.  Instead, walk in His grace each day to keep you on His path where His best life for you is possible.

Today I want to encourage you to accept God’s offer of salvation.  If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and the One who paid the penalty for your sin, do it today.  If you are living far from God, come back to Him today or if you just need to get on track with His plan and off of your own road, invite Him back now.

Pray a prayer like this:

God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new.  I know Your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide and empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

The great exchange

“For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, so we could become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus).”  2 Corinthians 5:21

            Now that’s a good deal!  There has never been a greater offer before or since.  This is God’s offer.  He made an offer that seems impossible to believe that anyone would refuse.  Here it is:  God offered up Jesus for my/your sin and in exchange He gave us His very own righteousness!  It’s almost too good to believe.  In fact, many don’t believe it.  For years I didn’t’ believe it myself.  I mean I knew that Jesus died to save me, but I thought I was always going to be an old sinner saved by grace.  Then one day I came across this scripture that says He took my sin and gave me His righteousness.  This means I have right standing and relationship with God.  It’s the only way I can have a relationship with God and become one of His children.

            Here’s the thing, when Jesus paid for my sin on the cross, He paid for all sin for all time.  So even though I am not perfect and still sin, that sin is already paid for, past, present, and future.  My sin is under His blood.  Not only is my sin under His blood, but God doesn’t even acknowledge that my sin ever existed.  He chooses to remember my sin no more.  After I have received Jesus, it’s like I never lived in sin.  God sees me in Christ Jesus, and He is perfect.  Hebrews 1:16-17 says, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Glory to God!

            So the next time you think, “I’m just an old sinner saved by grace,” think again because you were a sinner BUT you got saved by God’s grace.  Now you are a new creation in Christ Jesus that never existed before!!  They are two separate things.  You were dead, but now you are alive!  You can be a sinner, or you can be saved by God’s changing grace.  I choose saved by grace!

            Today I want to encourage you to rejoice in your salvation in Christ Jesus.  Give Him honor and glory for the offer of new life He has given us.  Remember He paid the price for all sin for all time and He will never have to do it again.  We are the righteousness of God and can grow closer to Him every day!

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 5

What are you doing here?

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

           Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What am I doing here or what is the reason for my existence?”  It’s a good question for sure.  Have you ever asked God, “what am I doing here, or what is the reason for my existence?”  Well, according to this verse in 2 Corinthians 5 if you are a born again child of God, you are His ambassador.  That’s a fancy way of saying you represent God here on earth.  So, how’s that going for you?  For me, it’s disappointing at best.  I don’t always “rise to the occasion” as it were, but I am learning.  As I write the Daily Dose each day, I have asked God to empower me to be His ambassador.  That is, to bring and present the message He wants to reveal.  Along with that, He has impressed on me that the greatest message He wants to convey is the message of His great love for people!  This has been challenging for me and I must constantly remind myself to read each scripture with one “hand” on that great love of God.  His love for mankind is His very heartbeat.  It is at the very core of who God is. (1John 4:7&8) In fact, He loved man so much that He became one.  Wow!  The Creator became part of the creation!!  So huge!!

            So, the point of being an ambassador is that we represent Him wherever we go.  Essentially, He wants the whole world to see His love and goodness when they see us.  Talk about a tall order!  However, it’s not through keeping a bunch of rules and regulations, it’s by showing His love to those around us.  Yes, it’s to those we know and love already, but also to our neighbors, those we work with, and those we don’t even know yet.  Everyone, everywhere!

            Today, I want to encourage you to keep in mind that wherever you go, you are God’s ambassador.  You are His representative, not by preaching and condemning, but by loving them all and by being the hands and feet of Jesus.  People are God’s greatest creation and His greatest love that was stolen away by His enemy at the fall and He wants them all back!  When the world around us begins to see the love of God through His people the “church”, then they will begin to desire to know Him personally and that’s the reason we have life in the world, to have a personal relationship with the eternal God of grace and introduce Him to all we meet!

Today’s scripture reading 2 Corinthians 5:12-21

 Well Pleasing

“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”  2 Corinthians 5:9

Well pleasing to Him. . . It has always been a scary thought to me to stand before the LORD one day, in His very presence.  I know He is my high priest and has gone between me and the judgement of God. 1 John 2:1-2 tells me that Jesus is the propitiation for my sin.  Glory to God!  It means God poured out all His wrath for my sin onto Jesus.  “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”  This is very good news!  Therefore, when I stand before the LORD, my sin is not being judged and I will have no debt to pay because it has already been paid in full with the blood of Jesus! 

According to today’s scripture reading, the believers that stand before the LORD at the Judgement Seat of Christ will be judged according to their works, what we did in this body and in this lifetime.  The scripture says whether it was good or bad.  This is where I take the opportunity to consider what is good work, what is bad work?  Jesus gave us a list in the sermon on the mount of “good works” are and then told us to let our light shine people with these good works and glorify the Father.  Below is the list from Matthew 5:3-16:

He concluded with: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Our “good works” as believers is our witness and example to the people of the world.  What we display to them is what they will see as the heart of God.  This is why it is so important not to take on the same complaints and attitudes of the world.  As believers, our job is to display the fruit of the Spirit:  Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  (see Galatians 5:21-22) These should be our heart and attitude in everything that comes in life, whether peril or pestilence, even in heart ache and suffering.  In the good times and bad times God’s grace gives us the ability to bear His fruit.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit will always display a heart to build up others instead of focusing on our own worries and concerns.

Today I want to encourage you to consider even though judgement day may be years away, keep it in mind.  As you walk through the day, consider what you can do to show His fruit to others.  Whether it is reaching out to someone with a word of encouragement, or running errands for an elderly neighbor, you can do God’s good works right where you are.  Display God’s heart for the people of the world by your words, attitude and acts of love and make it your aim to be well pleasing to the LORD!

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 5:9-11

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Walk by faith

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”   2 Corinthians 5:7

This scripture seems simple on the surface, but if we break it down, it actually goes much deeper. The first phrase is: We walk by faith. What does that mean?  We know that faith is the evidence of things hoped for but not seen according to Hebrews 11:1 and we know that faith comes by hearing God’s Word according to Romans 10:17. So combining those scriptures gives a clearer understanding of the first phrase of the verse. Our life steps are taken after hearing from God either from His written Word or inward witness of the Holy Spirit.

The second part of the verse says: We DO NOT walk by sight.  This simply means we do not place our hope or make choices according to our physical senses.  We do not make decisions based on how we feel, what we see in the natural world, or based on logic or other people’s thoughts and advise.

I could give many examples of this from my own personal experience, but I want to talk about one that changed the course of my life.  Several years ago, I had a legal matter in my life that had to be settled in the court system.  I hired an attorney for advice and representation based on the laws and her legal expertise.  As we advanced in the process of court hearings and corresponding with the other side’s attorney, things were stressful and in the natural, it didn’t look like it was going in my favor.  I was frustrated and angry, but instead of pushing harder in the courts, I cried out to God, then I sat and listened. 

As I pressed into Him, I heard Him on the inside of my heart ask, “What is it that you want to accomplish?”  (God is so amazing; He never gets stressed out or panicked no matter how frantic I am). I had to think about the answer because I thought I was fighting for what I wanted to accomplish.  However, in my heart I was feeling that my life couldn’t be right with God until this was settled and that is what I wanted most of all.  The court issue was the surface of a much deeper struggle in my heart.

As I honestly talked with Him about all that was in my heart, the Lord impressed on me to get the matter out of the courts.  What?  That didn’t make sense to me.  That was like giving up all my rights and losing for sure.  That’s when I remembered this verse and thought, if that’s what God said to do, then I know He will take care of the situation. 

After more prayer, God and I came up with a settlement plan and the issue was resolved peacefully and quietly.  I still didn’t feel like I had won, but I did feel like I could get my life in order, and I knew God was helping me.  I wouldn’t see the results of my “step of faith” in obeying God’s words until years later.  In fact, seven years later and even still today I am seeing fruit from that decision.  Had I gone on the path I was heading down, I would have been in a big mess financially, emotionally, and spiritually, still not having the results I was desiring.  I am so thankful that God heard me when I cried and more importantly, I heard and listened to His direction.  It’s one thing that God hears you, it is an entirely different thing when you hear and by faith follow Him.  Now you know the reason why I want everyone to know how important it is to “hear” from God before making life decisions.  Not only does it bring peace into your heart, but it ensures the peace of your future.  God knows what He’s doing, we just need to learn how to hear, listen and obey.

Today I want to encourage you to listen to God’s direction.  Whatever you are facing in life, take time to talk with God about it.  Not only talk to God about it but listen for that inner wisdom of the Holy Spirit.  Ask Him for scripture to back up what you think He said and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t make sense right away.  God see the “big picture” and gives wisdom from that vantage point.  One thing is for sure, you can trust Him!  He is always looking out for your best interest!  The truth is, if you learn how to hear and obey God’s voice in life, then you can have a life of heaven on earth. It doesn’t mean you will have less struggles; it simply means you can hear the direction to get you through them all.

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Put your trouble to work

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 2 Corinthians 4:17

This is something I never considered before. Our troubles are working for us.  According to Romans 8:28, We know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  We also know that this passage in Romans is very specific in saying who God is working in behalf of . . . those who love Him and are called to His purpose.  A lot of stuff happens that God has no part of, but our prayer of faith brings Him on the scene immediately.  Glory to God!!

Today’s verse shows us how this was evident in the Apostle Paul’s life.  Paul said: Even though our light afflictions are for a short amount of time, they are working for and eternal glory.  Wow! Paul says the things he went through were LIGHT AFFLICTIONS?  What was Paul talking about?  His afflictions, in my opinion, were not so light.  He was beaten, stoned, buffeted by a messenger from Satan, (2 Cor. 12:7) imprisoned for years and brought before Caesar.  Oh, and don’t forget shipwrecked and snake bitten!   I don’t know about all of you, but I have never faced any kind of “light afflictions” like that.  However, notice how he says these things were working for him.  The NLT version says “troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” 

I pray we all get this mind set as we go through life.  Life is short but the things we go through in this world are working glory (God’s goodness) that is greater than any problem we face if we choose to go through them trusting and following God.  I believe this process takes a kingdom mind set, becoming so filled up and preoccupied with the kingdom of God and eternity with Him.  That is when we will begin to experience God’s glory in our struggles.

Today I want to encourage you to begin filling up your life with the things of God.  Everything you know about God right now is a good place to start.  Make a list of the things you know about Him and the things He has done to impact your life.  Then ask Him to reveal more of Himself and His goodness to you that will draw you even closer to Him. Everyone is going through something; the key is how you go through the trials that come your way.  Are you trusting God and following Him through to victory, or are you worrying and stressing, trying to figure things out in your own wisdom?  The choice is yours. When the pressures of life come your way, remember that these issues are working for you because you love God and are called to His purpose and trusting Him to turn them around for good and eternal glory!

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Agree with your Father

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.  2 Corinthians 4:13

Do you speak what you believe, or do you only talk about what you see?  What I am referring to is only talking about your circumstances instead of talking about what you believe God will do in your circumstances.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.  The women with the issue of blood in Matthew 9 knew she had an issue of blood and had that issue for 12 years, yet in verse 21 it says that she said within herself, when I touch His garment, I will be made whole.  She had so much faith in what Jesus would do for her, that she wasn’t talking about what her problem was anymore, she only focused on and spoke her answer. That’s when her issue changed.

Another example is Abram.  God told him he would be the father of many nations, yet he didn’t even have any children of his own.  So, when God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, meaning father of nations, he agreed with God by speaking that name instead of focusing on his lack of current family.

The list goes on of what God said about people in the midst of their delimmas.  Each one of them had to make the choice to agree with what God said, or agree with the current circumstances.  Gideon was called a mighty warrior, while he was in hiding from his enemy.  Moses was called the deliverer when he wasn’t anywhere near Egypt.  Mary was called the hand maiden of the Lord and she was just a young Hebrew girl.

The point is, each one of us have limitations in our current circumstances, but God can change every obstacle and turn it for our good.  Circumstances can change, and they always do change.  All we have to do is turn them over to our Father and believe He will change them for good.  Then stop talking about what the problem is and start talking about the work God is doing in the situation.  The truth is, our words show where our faith is.  Do we have faith in the strength of the problem or is our faith in the strength of God to change them?

Today I want to encourage you to speak what you believe God is doing in your life.  If you are sick and have asked for healing, believe He is healing you and speak it.  If you are in debt and asked for wisdom and help getting out, believe He is bringing you the solution and talk about that instead.  Maybe you need employment, a home or transportation?  Ask God and then believe and talk about the provision that is coming your way.  He promised to answer when you call on Him, why not began to talk about that instead of all the weight of carrying problems yourself. Believe the promises of God today that He gave you in His word and speak those in place of your current struggle.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Jars of clay

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”    2 Corinthians 4:7

This passage talks about how the glory of God moves into the heart of every believer at the point of salvation.  Let’s explore a little on what that glory actually is and looks like in your life personally.  Even though God’s glory could be seen on the outside when God’s people were in the wilderness and other times throughout history, for the most part it was kept behind a veil for the protection of the people. After Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven, that glory moved to the inside of every believers in the form of the Holy Spirit.  So once again it seems like it is hidden or veiled, but the evidence of it is very real.  Here in 2 Corinthians 4 it says that it is hidden from unbelievers because they are blind.  Their minds are blinded by the god of this world, Satan.  Because we have the same frail body as an unbeliever, they can see the power of God coming through us in the message of salvation as if the glory were shining through a broken vessel.

Today’s verse says that we are an “earthen vessel” that houses this treasure of God’s glory.  We are actually the container that carries this treasure in the earth.  So instead of the people having to go to where the glory of God was housed in the temple, now the glory goes out to the people of the nations in God’s ministers/children.  The treasure is the message of the gospel (good news) of salvation in Christ Jesus!  Glory to God!  When we read today’s verse in its context, we see that as we speak what we believe about this good news and let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through our lives, the glory of God is released from us through our faith filled words into the lives of those we speak into.

There are also benefits of this treasure listed in the passage.  These benefits protect as we share His treasure with others.  They are as follows: when we are under pressure, we will not be crushed or defeated. When we are perplexed or puzzled, we will not despair or be discouraged.  When we are persecuted, we are not forsaken or forgotten about and when we are struck down, we will not be destroyed.  Wow!  Those promises pretty much make us indestructible when we are sharing the gospel/glory of God with others.  This revelation should eliminate any fear we have about loving others by sharing the love of God with them.

Overall, this “treasure” of God’s glory that we carry around on the inside is the light that we shine in the dark world.  The Light that we share with lost people to lead them to the truth of God’s great love.  It is a great ministry that we have been given, and it is God’s plan and will for our life now that we are in Christ Jesus.  Nothing else is so important.  Not how much money we make, not how many vacations we take, and not how comfortable we are in life.  I’m not saying there is anything wrong with these things, I’m simply saying the only thing you can take with you when you leave this earth is the lives you’ve touched for eternity.

Today I want to encourage you to let the glory of God shine in your life and share the love of Jesus with just one person.  You don’t have to reach the masses, just one person at a time.  Sometimes it may seem overwhelming because there are just so many that need to hear, but if we all just reach one at a time, we can win the whole world.  Ask God to bring the “one” into your life today that is ready to receive and then take the step of faith to release the treasure inside of you of the good news of His Salvation.

Today’s scripture reading:  2 Corinthians 4:1-15

 Freedom

_{“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty/freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17}

Disappointed?  Discouraged?  Depressed?  These are usually easy emotions to identify right?  Of course, these are not feelings that we desire to have, yet they come at different points in life.  We become disappointed, discouraged, or depressed because we just aren’t satisfied with where life is at that time.  These emotions are actually steps in a progression and if we learn how to recognize them at their onslaught, we can combat them before they move on to the next step.  Let me explain.  When someone lets me down, either by not doing what I expected them to do or by speaking words of disapproval over me, I can become disappointed.  Immediately, I have allowed that disappointment to become thoughts in my head.  “Why did they say that?” Or “why didn’t they do what they said they were going to do?”  Now, I am discouraged.  “I can’t trust them anymore” is what my thoughts are telling start telling me.  If I continue to dwell on these thoughts, I can be led right into a depressed condition that has become a pit that is not easy to get out of.  The entire process is a trap, and I was led right into it by the first thought I allowed myself to hang on to.

Thankfully, there is a way to avoid the trap. That way is the Holy Spirit inside of you!  If you begin in your life to insert the fruit of the Holy Spirit into your disappointing times in life, you will ward off the enemy’s attack of disappointment.  Therefore, the progression to depression has no chance of trapping you.  Let me explain this.  If I go ahead and realize that I am the only person I have control of in any given situation, I can go ahead and plan how I am going to respond to the circumstances around me.  When things don’t go the way I planned or expected them to go, I can plan that I am going to insert an attribute of the Holy Spirit instead of becoming disappointed.  I can release love in the situation, I can release joy or peace and so on.  Freedom from the trap of depression is in the Holy Spirit and His fruit.  Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, and patience.  If we purposefully bear His fruit instead of the emotions our enemy is pushing, we will have godly results instead of a depressing outcome.  The secret is look for the Spirit of God always.

When you recognize that people are not perfect and you yourself are not perfect, your expectations should be that others are not going to get it right all the time and neither are you.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t try; I’m simply saying don’t expect perfection.  Worse yet, don’t have a mindset that what I expect is the only way and if it isn’t done my way, I will be disappointed.  Expect instead to be gracious and let the liberty of the Spirit be your response in all your reactions.

Today I want to encourage you to experience the freedom that is in the Holy Spirit of God by putting His fruit into your life and actions.  Let love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, and patience be your thoughts and responses.  These will make no room for stress, anxiety, and disappointment, let alone discouragement and depression.  Thwart off the enemy’s attack today and begin to turn your thoughts and heart toward that freedom and allow God’s glory to shine through in your life and not be hidden by your enemy.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

You are a letter

Clearly you are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Your life is a letter written for all the world to see.  The way you live, the words you say and the things you do are sending out a message to all who hear and see you.  What is the message that others are getting through the life you are living?

I used to think that God’s Word was His love letter to the world, and it is for sure, but after reading today’s scripture, I realize that my life is a gift from God to the world around me.  Most people I am around each day will never read about how much God loves them in the Bible.  That is one of the reasons God saved me, to be His walking love in the flesh for the world to get a glimpse of Him.  His desire is that all people would know His unconditional love and experience it in their every day lives, so He gave you and me and all His people to the world to demonstrate His great love!

This is not an easy task, and not one to be taken lightly either.  When we get up each morning, our job is to be the love of God to all others.  From our family to our neighborhood, from our friends to the people we work with, we are God’s message to all those outside of His kingdom.  So, what message are the people getting from God through your life?  Do they see the self-sacrificial love of God in the way we serve and go out of our way to encourage?  Or, do they see someone similar to themselves that is working and striving to meet the needs of number one?

Oh, I know it isn’t easy to live that love walk initially, but as you begin to practice love wherever you go and commit to loving others with the God kind of love, in time you will develop a habit of loving.  Not just to get in a rut, in fact it is impossible to get in a rut when loving others because it is the one thing the stimulates joy in our lives, that is serving others.  In fact, vs. 5 & 6 of this passage say that we cannot be this example of love without the help and power of God in our lives and that it is the only thing that brings joy and fulfillment into our otherwise ordinary way of living. 

The apostle Paul’s life was the perfect example of being God’s letter to the world.  Through much of his life he ministered to other wherever he was.  Not just by starting churches from city to city, but he worked his daily vocation as a tent maker and used that platform to reach others.  Not of his own strength, he was working with God and He, the Holy Spirit, was the power source within Paul’s ministry.  We can do this too.  Whatever place we have been given to live our daily lives, we can be the message to the world from our Father and working together with Him as we go will guarantee your success!

Today I want to encourage you to offer up your life as a living sacrifice.  Tell your loving heavenly Father that you are giving your life to be His love letter to the world around you.  Partner with Him by following His prompts and nudges along the way and watch as His sufficiency brings a supernatural joy into your life that was never there before.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6