Mighty Man of Valor

Daniel was a man of character. He wanted what God wanted. His life was a life of devotion to God. He fasted, he prayed and God heard his words. Daniel was man of character and a mighty man of valor.

The Bible talks much about mighty men of valor and men who had character and integrity. The Bible says that Daniel had an excellent spirit within him and because of this, he rose to a position of great leadership.

This is what God wants for men today. He wants Christian men to take their rightful place in their homes, in their community and in the church. He wants them to live by the same code of conduct that Daniel lived by.

With this in mind, let me ask you this question: Are mighty men of valor, are men of character, are men of integrity born or are they just regular men who've decided to live by the Word of God?

Even though there are those born with great talents, being a man of God is a choice. You can be a mighty man of valor. You can be a man of character and integrity like Daniel. The choice is yours.

When King David was running for his life, and was hiding in a cave, the Bible tells us that there were other men in the cave with him. They were misfits and malcontents and they were greatly in debt. It looked like David was surrounded with a group of losers.

However, these same men believed David as he followed God and became his mighty men of valor. The Bible tells us that there were none like them and they were mighty in battle.

So I challenge you today, let go of the things of the world and grab hold of the things of God. Walk in character and integrity and be all that you can be, a mighty man of valor.

"Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm" (Dan. 6:3).

Battle Armor

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God.... Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God: praying always. (Eph. 6:13-18)

Please allow me to paint a picture in your mind: Many Bible scholars agree that Paul wrote the epistle to the Ephesian church from a prison cell.

Picture that...day after day, night after night, he sees the same picture...every time he raises his head to look around...every time he stirs from his sleep...every time he has a request...he sees a Roman soldier.

What an imposing picture. Standing tall and strong, he is a picture of victory and power and authority. But what made this Roman soldier so imposing and invincible? It was his armor.

With that picture imprinted on his memory, Paul wrote to the church and informed them that while there was a battle going on, their victory was dependent upon them putting on the whole armor of God.

Just as the Roman soldiers were always ready and prepared to face the enemy through the strength of their armor, the Christian must understand that we can always be ready and prepared to face our enemy, if we put on the armor that God has provided for us.

The next time you face the attack of the enemy, follow these instructions: Put on the whole armor of God.

Put on the "Helmet of Salvation," so you can THINK like you are saved.

Put on the "Breastplate of Righteousness," so you can ACT like you are saved.

Put on the "Belt of Truth," so you can TALK like you are saved.

Put on the "Good News Shoes," so you can WALK like you are saved.

Pick up the "Shield of Faith," so you can TRUST like you are saved.

Pick up the "Sword of the Spirit," so you can FIGHT like you are saved.

Finally, Pray, Pray, Pray.

God has provided armor for your protection and for your victory, so use it. Wear it. But always remember one thing...God did not provide any armor for your backside...that's because He never intended for you to run or retreat.

Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the "Warrior Spirit."

You Have to Use it or Lose it

"Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents" (Matt. 27:28).

Did you know that the Lord is an investor and He sows by putting talents, which is money, in your hands? Therefore, He expects you to produce with what He gives you. It's not where you start off that matters - it's where you end up.

Now, you may not be a five-talent guy; you may only be a two or one-talent guy. But just keep multiplying the one or two talents God has given you and eventually you will have what the five-talent guy has.

Let's examine the last servant of this parable in Matthew. Evidently, he didn't see this as an investment because he said to his Lord, "Here is your original investment." You see, his attitude was, "You ought to be happy with that."

But in verse twenty-seven, the Lord calls him a wicked and lazy servant; he tells this servant that he should have at least put it in the bank if he wasn't going to do anything with it. At least I would have received interest on my own money!

Now pay attention to what the Lord does, He takes the one talent and gives it to the guy who has ten talents. Well why didn't he give it to the five-talent guy? Because God is a smart investor, that's why. He gave it to the man with the most ability. For unto everyone that has shall be given and he shall have abundance.

So whatever God gives you, minister unto the Lord with it and you'll have an abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away that which he has. Simply put, you have to use it or lose it.

Now, you need to understand, a parable usually explains what the kingdom of heaven is like; therefore, God must consider this a serious subject. So wherever you are in your life - large, small, or in between, God expects you to minister unto Him.

Don't waste your time getting upset because somebody starts out in a better position than you. Remember, God is also holding them accountable for what they have.

When you minister unto God with that which was His in the first place, He will bless you. He will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing so big that you will not have room enough to receive it all.

The Love Life

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

We often think of "laying down your life" for someone else in terms of dying. That's what Jesus did. He loved us so much He laid down His life by dying in our place so that we could live.

But now, He's asked us to lay down our lives in a different way. He's asked us to show our love, not by dying for others, but by living for them.

Exactly what does that mean?

Sometimes it means giving our lives by spending time in prayer for someone. Other times it means giving of ourselves with love and understanding. Many times it means laying down our own selfish desires in order to meet the needs of another.

Romans 15:1 puts it this way, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."

When you lay down your life, you live to please God instead of yourself. You let your life be guided by His love. If love leads you to the person next door, you follow. When love calls you to intercede for someone in need, you yield.

Commit yourself today to lay down your own life - and take up the love life.

Discipline For Disciples

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:1-2).

Someone who has the edge is disciplined in both spiritual and physical matters. We think the only thing that matters is that we pray as much as we can and read our Bible every day. I'm not saying we should be robots in that we stick to a bunch of rules and regulations. But we're to be disciplined in seeking real life.

Being disciplined is putting God first in your life - in everything you do and say. Being disciplined is reading the Bible because you know it is your source of faith and strength. Being disciplined is praying because you know that daily communion with the living God is the highlight of your day. Being disciplined is spending time praising and worshipping the Lord because you know praise stills the enemy.

Being undisciplined is self-centeredness - you read the Bible and pray when you feel like it. Your world revolves around you and no one else. Every decision you make is based on how it will benefit you. You don't have a heart of love and compassion for others. You may love people, but it's a conditional love - you'll love them as long as you're getting something from them. Being undisciplined is not seeing others how God sees them. This may come as a deep revelation to some, but Jesus died on the cross for everyone!

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Col. 3:12-14).

It's hard to believe that someone is really spiritually disciplined if they're not physically disciplined. Do you lead a disciplined lifestyle? That covers everything from the food you eat to what you do with your spare time.

I believe Christians should be examples of excellence. If you are an athlete, are you working as hard as you can to be the best you can? If you have a job, do you give your employer the best of your abilities? Do you show up for work on time and stay until it's time to leave? In school, do you take your education seriously? Do you strive to make the best grades possible or are you satisfied with just sliding by?

You may think, What does all this have to do with anything? How you answer these questions indicates whether or not you lead a disciplined lifestyle.

Start Where You Are

Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Start with what you have, not with what you don't have. Opportunity is always where you are, never where you were. To get anywhere you must launch out for somewhere or you will get nowhere.

Hamilton Mabie said, "The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had the means, time, influence and education advantages, but what he will do with the things he has."

God will always give us an ability to create what we need from something that is already there.

Each person tends to underrate or overrate that which they do not possess. Ed Howe said, "People are always neglecting something they can do and trying to do something they can't do."

I agree with Teddy Roosevelt when he said, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." The only way to learn anything thoroughly is by starting at the bottom (except when learning how to swim). To be successful, do what you can.

Ken Keys, Jr. said, "To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have." The truth is that many are successful because they didn't have the advantages others had. People with enterprise accomplish more than others because they go ahead and do it before they are ready.

Epicurus said, "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for." Henri Amiel observed, "Almost everything comes from almost nothing."

No improvement is so certain as that which proceeds from the right and timely use of what you already have.

Mike Murdock said, "Whatever God has already given to you will create anything else He has promised to you." Everyone who has arrived had to begin where they were.

The truth is, you can't know what you can do until you try. The most important thing about reaching your dream is starting right where you are.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Faith And Patience Required

Heb. 6:12 "...Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

To have patience means to have fortitude, strength, courage and staying power. Patience is the ability to stay focused over a long haul, not being discouraged just because there is a time of discomfort to our flesh and soul.

The Message Bible says: "Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them."

Have absolute trust and confidence in God's power to perform His promises and practice patient endurance, waiting in faith for the fulfillment of the Word in your life. That is how all the heroes of the faith inherited the things God had promised to them.

Consider Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and the other prophets. They went through a lot of struggles, but they didn't waver in their trust of God. They knew He would see them through and give them the reward of their patient service.

Friendship Wisdom

Proverbs says, "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for good or bad. Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.

Think about it; almost all of our sorrows spring out of the relationships with the wrong people. The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others it increases your mediocrity.

A true Bulgarian proverb confirms, "If you find yourself taking two steps forward and one step backwards, invariably it's because you have mixed associations in your life."

If a loafer isn't a nuisance to you, it's a sign that you are somewhat of a loafer yourself. I have discovered that an important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.

A true friend is one who is there to care. They remain your friend even if you don't deserve to have a friend. They will see you through when others think you're through.

If you were to list your greatest benefits, resources or strengths, you would find that money is one of the least important ones while some of your greatest resources are the people you know. A true friend sees beyond you to what you can be.

Invest in good relationships. The way to make a true friend is to be one. Your wealth is where your friends are. Consider what Francesco Guicciardini said: "Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make the right ones."

As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb, will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you, will eventually decrease you.

Consider this: never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life.

Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.

Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.

Imagine If

2 Corinthians 4:18 - While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

You were created for creativity. Your eyes look for opportunity, your ears listen for direction, your mind requires a challenge and your heart longs for God's way.

Make a daily demand on your creativity. Everything great started as somebody's daydream. All people of action are first dreamers.

The wonder of imagination is this: it has the power to light its own fire. Ability is a flame—creativity is a fire. Originality sees things with fresh vision.

First Corinthians 2:16 says, "We have the mind of Christ." Don't you know we've been given a part of His creativity too?

A genius is someone who shoots at a target no one else sees and hits it. "We are told never to cross a bridge till we come to it, but this world is owned by people who have 'crossed bridges' in their imagination far ahead of the crowd".

Many times we act, or fail to act, not because of will but because of imagination. Your dreams are an indicator of your potential greatness, and you will know it's a God-given idea because it will always come to you with the force of a revelation.

Other people may be smarter, better educated or more experienced than you, but no single person has a corner on dreams, desire or ambition.

The Bible says, "Where there is no vision the people perish" (Prov. 29:18). Not being a person of imagination causes your life to be less than it was intended to be.

A dream is one of the most exciting things there is. Your heart has eyes, which the brain knows nothing of. You are more than an empty bottle to be filled. You are a candle to be lit.

Light the fire of your imagination.

We Are Called To Stand Out, Not Blend In

A majority, many times, is a group of highly motivated snails. If a thousand people say something foolish, it's still foolish. Truth is never dependent upon consensus of opinion.

In 1 Peter 2:0, the Bible says of us Christians, ...ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.. Romans 12:2 exhorts us, And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

One of the greatest compliments that anybody can give you is to say that you are different. We Christians live in this world, but we are aliens. We should talk differently, act differently, and perform differently. We are called to stand out.

There should be something different about you. If you don't stand out in a group, if there is not something unique or different in your life, you should re-evaluate yourself.

One way to stand head and shoulders above the crowd is to choose to do regular, ordinary things in an extraordinary and supernatural way with great enthusiasm. God has always done some of His very best work through remnants, when the circumstances appear to be stacked against them. In fact, in every battle described in the Bible, God was always on the side of the "underdog," the minority.

Majority rule is not always right. It is usually those people who don't have dreams or visions of their own who want to take a vote. People in groups tend to agree on courses of action that they as individuals know are not right.

Don't be persuaded or dissuaded by group opinion. It doesn't make any difference whether anyone else believes, you must believe. Never take direction from a crowd for your personal life. And never choose to quit just because somebody else disagrees with you.

In fact, the two worst things you can say to yourself when you get an idea are: 1) "That has never been done before," and 2) "That has been done before." Just because somebody else has gone a particular way and not succeeded does not mean that you too will fail.

Many are called but few are chosen to STAND OUT!!!

As Your Soul Prospers

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers" (3 John 1:2).

Once you begin to believe it's God's will to prosper you, you can't help but wonder how He's going to do it. Is He going to put a check in the mail? Or start floating twenty dollar bills down from the trees?

No. He's going to do it by prospering your soul. He's going to plant the seeds of prosperity in your mind, will, and emotions, and as they grow, they'll produce a great financial harvest.

Go to the book of Genesis and read the story of Joseph. It's a perfect demonstration of what I'm talking about. When Joseph was sold as a slave to the Egyptians, he didn't have a dime to his name. He didn't even have his freedom. He'd been sold as a slave. But, right in the middle of his slavery, God gave Joseph such wisdom and ability that he made his owner prosper. As a result, the man put Joseph in charge of all his possessions.

Later, Joseph was put in prison. There's really not much opportunity for advancement in prison, is there? But God gave him insight that no other man in Egypt had. That insight landed him a position on Pharaoh's staff. Not as a slave but as the most honored man in the entire country next to Pharaoh himself.

He rode along in a chariot and people literally bowed down before him. During a worldwide famine, Joseph was in charge of all the food. Now that's prosperity!

How did God accomplish all that? By prospering Joseph's soul. No matter how dismal his situation became, no matter how impossible his problems, God was able to reveal the spiritual secrets that would open the door of success for him.

That's what makes God's method of prospering so exciting. It works anywhere and everywhere. It will work in the best of times as well as the worst of times. And you can be sure that it will work for you!

Live the Love Life



"But who so keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked" (1 John 2:5-6).

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - that is more important than learning to love. In fact, how accurately you perfect the love walk will determine how much of the perfect will of God you accomplish.

That's because every other spiritual force derives its action from love. For example, the Bible teaches us that faith works by love. And answered prayer is almost an impossibility when a believer steps outside of love and refuses to forgive or is in strife with his brother.

Without love, your giving will not work. Tongues and prophecy will not work. Faith fails and knowledge is unfruitful. All the truths that you have learned from God's Word work by love. They will profit you nothing unless you live the love of God.

First Corinthians 13:4-8 paints a perfect picture of how love behaves. It's patient and kind. It's not jealous or proud. It doesn't behave rudely or selfishly and it isn't touchy. Love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Sounds like a tall order, doesn't it? But don't despair. You are a love creature. God has re-created your spirit in the image of love. And He has sent His love Spirit to live in you and teach you how to love as He loves. You can live the love life. Begin today.

Transformed





Probably you have tried to change before and you were disappointed. That was REFORMATION; but now you have been changed. This is TRANSFORMATION.

The Bible distinguishes between changing and being changed. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

You have changed because you have been changed. You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. "It is God Himself, that has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others" (Eph. 2:10 TLB).

Being "born again" has become a popular phrase. You have heard it used many times. You have heard of it happening to others...now it has happened to you. This phrase "born again" was first pronounced by our Lord Himself. He said, "Ye must be born again" (John 3:7).

It is the only time the Lord Jesus used the imperative MUST. He didn't say you must be baptized, you must turn over a new leaf, or you must join a church. He said only..."You must be born again."

This is where life begins! You will turn over a new leaf, you will want to be baptized in water, and you will want to join a church and be in fellowship, but it begins with the new birth.

After the new birth comes GROWTH. "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word that may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:3).

The Living Bible says, "Long to grow up unto the fullness of your salvation: cry for this as a baby cries for his milk." We grow by receiving the Word of God.

"But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God's law for free men he will not only remember it but he will do what is says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does" (James 1:25 TLB).

The Law of Life


"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2 KJV).

Have you ever heard the saying, "Everything happens for a reason"? Well, yes, that's true, everything does happen for a reason, but let me put it to you another way. Everything happens because of spiritual laws. So understand this: spiritual laws - which are the law of life and the law of death, govern everything in the earth.

The question is which law are you operating under? Is it life or death?

You see, functioning under the law of life is to follow Jesus and act on the Word of God. This releases His power through your faith in His word. In other words, your faith is released by speaking His Word and then acting on His Word.

On the contrary, operating under the law of death is to follow the flesh and function in sin. This gives Satan access to do everything he can to steal from you, kill, and destroy you.

Unfortunately, most of us are more developed in functioning under the law of death. It's easier for us to believe the death side rather than the life side. The reason for that is because of what we've been hearing all of these years. And until we have learned better, we have been talking it, speaking it, and acting like it was the way to live.

That's why we have to spend time in the Word of God and develop our faith in God's Word every day. God's Word will help you rebuke the devil and get rid of that fear. God has redeemed you from the curse of the law; so you don't have to be in slavery to fear anymore.

Now make a decision to never allow fear to dominate your life. Know that you are the redeemed of the Lord. So let the redeemed of the Lord say so. You are redeemed from the law of sin and death. You are redeemed from the hand of the enemy. You are redeemed and God has made you His son or His daughter.

So speak it out every day. Tell fear to go. It has no place in your life. Say, "I will not fear any man. I will not fear any situation, for I am a son or a daughter of God. God is with me always, in every situation and in every circumstance. I know it will be all right because the anointed One, Jesus Christ, is on my side."