From Religion to Reality

By Kenneth Copeland Ministries

For [God] hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
– 2 Corinthians 5:21

When you were born again, you weren't half-reborn, you weren't made half-righteous or a quarter righteous. You were made the righteousness of God in Christ! You were made a "joint-heir with Him." According to Strong's Concordance that word joint-heir refers to a personal equality based on an equality of possession.

Jesus went to the Cross to give you what He already possessed. He rose again so you could be recreated in His image. You are the victory of Almighty God! You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. You are everything to the Father that Jesus is. John 17:23 actually says that God loves you as much as He loves Jesus.

Once you dare to accept that fact, your life will forever be changed. You'll no longer be satisfied to just sit around whining and wishing things were different. You'll want to step up to the position of authority that Jesus has given you, to take your rightful place beside Him and learn to operate the way He does.

As His people, we are everything to God that Jesus is.

If you'll receive that message, if you'll dare to believe it, if you'll dare to put it into action, it will radically alter your life. It will take you from religion to reality!

A Crisis Can Lead to Healing Choices

By Rick Warren Ministries

“This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket” (Genesis 32:24-25 NLT).

Are you in a crisis today? Congratulations! You’re about to be changed. You don’t have to stay the same. God is getting ready to make a change in your life.

The Bible teaches that our biggest struggle in life is with God because we want to be in control. We want to be God.

That was the problem that Jacob had, insisted he be able to control his life to such an extent that he even wanted to change the order of his birth. Jacob was a twin and the Bible says when he came out of his mother’s womb, he was clinging to his older brother’s ankle, grappling to be the first one out. He spent a lifetime in conflict with his brother, Esau, but his biggest battle was with God.

One night he even tried to go one-on-one with God. Some people want to debate who Jacob actually wrestled but the Bible tells us in Hosea: “Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God” (Hosea 12:3 NLT).

I want you to think of the biggest problem you’ve got right now. It probably will come to mind quickly; yet, regardless of what that problem is, I suspect it all boils down to these two issues.

1. ‘Will I obey God in this situation and do what He says is the right thing to do, whether I like it or not?’ Or,

2. ‘Will I trust God in this situation, letting him handle it?’

No matter what your problem is--financial, physical, relational, social, and vocational--your biggest problem is not your problem. The real problem is not obeying and trusting God. And that makes the problem bigger.

Have you ever been in a no win situation? Perhaps you’re in a ‘no win situation’ right now. Who do you think is behind that? God is! God backs you into a corner. Why? Because God often allows crisis in our lives in order to get our attention. All of a sudden we’re laid flat on our backs and we’re forced to look up.

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you far too much to let you just stay stuck in your habits, hang-ups and hurts. He wants to change you. He wants to help you grow, to be better, to be different, and to be all that you were meant to be. And so He allows a crisis.

Why? Because we rarely change until the pain we feel exceeds our fear of change. We don’t change when we see the light; we change when we feel the heat.

God uses four phases in a situation to move you to where you need to be. Phase one is a crisis that gets your attention and forces you to look toward God. Pray about this: In what areas are you struggling with God?

A Conversion Leads to a New You

By Rick Warren Ministries

“Your name will no longer be Jacob . . . From now on you will be called Israel” (Genesis 32:28 NLT).

You don’t have to stay the same! In a conversion, we’re given a new identity. Once Jacob confesses his need to be in control, God’s loving and gracious response is to give him a new identity.

Now the transformation begins! Notice three things happen:

‧ God gives Jacob a brand new identity. God says, “Jacob--manipulator. That’s the old you. We’re not going to call you that anymore. We’re going to change your name to Israel, which means Prince with God.” Essentially, God says, “I know you’ve blown it; I know you’re conniving, but I see in you a prince. Beneath all your emotional hang-ups, all your insecurities, all the stuff you don’t want anybody else to know, I see a prince.” God is saying that today to many of us, “Beneath all of your hang-ups, I see a princess/prince. Beneath all the sins, all the things you’ve done wrong in life, I really see the potential in you. You can be something great. You can be what I made you to be. Not what you are now, but what I made you to be.”

‧ God blesses Jacob/Israel. “Then he blessed Jacob there” (Genesis 32:29 NLT). If we want God’s blessing, we’ve got to take the steps God requires of us.

‧ God gave Jacob/Israel a limp. Remember when they wrestled, God dislocated Jacob’s. The Bible says for the rest of his life, Jacob walked with a limp (Genesis 32:31 NLT). It served as a daily reminder to depend upon God. From that point on, Jacob was going to have to stand in God’s power, not his own. Jacob leaves the encounter both stronger and weaker--stronger in that he’s not the same person any more, but weaker because now he must depend on God for his daily walk.

God does His deepest work in your life when He deals with your identity: who you are, the way you see yourself, your self-perception. You will always tend to act according to the way you think about yourself. So God does His deepest changes in your life by changing the way you see yourself.

He says, “Let me show you how I see you.” When you see yourself the way God sees you, it’s going to change your life. And you can start acting in a whole new way. You don’t have to stay the same: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

Behold The Glory Of Jesus In You

By Joseph Prince Ministries

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Of course, you see yourself. But God does not want you to see yourself in the natural. You may be sick, weak, broke and depressed, yet God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you — healed, strong, rich and whole because Christ is in you. (Colossians 1:27)

God wants you to behold as in a mirror the glory of His Son who is in you by His Spirit. As you do this, His Word says that you are being transformed from glory to glory — from poor to rich, sick to healed, loser to winner!

The world may say to you, “It can’t be that easy. You can’t be transformed just by beholding the glory of Jesus. No, you must do something about you. If you don’t put in effort, nothing will happen. If you don’t start making changes, nothing will change.”

But the world will never understand that as you are beholding the glory of the Lord, who is the successful one in you, you are being transformed from a failure to a success. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours to get ahead in life, but by the Spirit of the Lord! (Zechariah 4:6)

As you behold the glory of the Lord who is the healthy one in your sick body, you are transformed from sickness to health. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours to keep fit and eat well, but by the Spirit of the Lord!

My friend, what can be easier than beholding the beauty of the Son? So stop focusing on yourself and your efforts. Look away from these things and begin to behold the glory of Jesus who is in you right now, and you will begin to behold the miracles that you need!

Out of the Pit

By Joel Osteen Ministries

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on the solid ground and steadied me as I walked along"
(Psalm 40:2, NLT)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Do you feel like you are in a pit today? That pit can be frustration or disappointment or a feeling of discouragement, despair, or hopelessness. And maybe you can’t see a way out, but you’ve got to know that God is still with you, and He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Remember, God will never waste anything you go through in life. If you’ll keep the right attitude, He’ll turn that situation around for your good. It doesn’t matter how you got there, whether it was by your own poor choices or maybe someone else treated you unfairly, God wants to use that situation to do a work in you. He’ll take that evil and turn it around for your good. You may be uncomfortable at times, but you’ve got to know you are growing, and God is building your character.

Today, make the decision to shake off any negative, self-defeating mindsets. Choose to cooperate with God. Trust that He is preparing you for promotion. As you keep an attitude of faith, expectancy, and thanksgiving, He will lift you up and set you on the solid path of victory He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, today I lift my eyes to You, for my help comes from You. Thank You for doing a work in my life. Thank You for using every situation in my life for my good. I bless You today no matter what is going on around me, knowing that You have a good plan for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

Your Own Genesis Week

By Rick Warren Ministries

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10 NIV).

God spoke the world into existence, and he spoke you into your mother’s womb. Even now, he can speak into the chaos of your life to bring it shape and form (Psalm 51:10 MSG).

This is a Genesis event, where God speaks into the void and the darkness of your life, creating for you a new beginning.

God can create something from nothing; he can take a heart that is broken, impure, or failed and create a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful. God wants to see you pure, so he takes an active role in creating your new heart and bringing order to the chaos of your life.

Your job is to submit to his sovereignty, humble yourself before him, and ask for his help.

Lord, speak a Genesis moment into our hearts and into the circumstances of our lives. We acknowledge “everything that we have--right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start--comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30 MSG).

Renew in us a steadfast spirit (Psalm 51:10), no longer chaotic or moved by events, circumstances, or feelings. Give us lives shaped by you and by your Spirit flowing through us.

Give God your chaos. Let God speak into your life, creating a new beginning, a new hope, and a new energy. Pray, “God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life” (Psalm 51:10 MSG).

by Jon Walker.

You Are God’s Beloved

By Joseph Prince Ministries New Creation Church

Ephesians 1:6
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

At the Jordan river, Jesus heard His Father say to Him, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Later, in the wilderness, Jesus heard the devil say to Him, “If You are the Son of God…” (Luke 4:3)

Notice that the devil not only questioned Jesus’ sonship, but he also dropped the word “beloved” when he said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God…” You see, the devil cannot remind you that you are God’s beloved because when you know this truth, whatever he wants to bring against you will not succeed!

Many girls are giving away their virginity because they need to feel wanted and loved. And young boys join gangs to feel accepted because they have been rejected and made to feel worthless by others.

But when you know that you are God’s beloved, no temptation can succeed against you, not even the “giants” who may taunt you. Consider David who slew Goliath. “David” in Hebrew means “beloved”. It takes a David to knock down a giant. In other words, it takes someone who knows that he is God’s beloved to win the fights of life!

You are God’s beloved not because of what you do. Christ did everything. He is God’s Beloved. But God put you in Christ. That is why you are “accepted in the Beloved”. And what God said to Jesus, He says to you today: “You are My beloved son. In you, I am well pleased.”

So if the devil tells you, “Hey, you call yourself ‘God’s beloved’ after what you just did?” have the assurance that it is not based on what you have done, but what Christ has done. And you are still God’s beloved because you are in Christ!

When you say that, I believe the devil screams in frustration because he has no power over you when you are conscious that you are God’s beloved. There is truly a place of safety when you know that you are His beloved.

My friend, we are not being proud when we call ourselves God’s beloved. How can we boast when we know that it is God’s grace that has made us accepted in the Beloved!

Jesus Your High Priest Intercedes For You

By Joseph Prince Ministries New Creation Church

Hebrews 7:25
… He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

The verse says that Jesus always lives to make intercession for us. Once, I used to think that this meant that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand today, praying all the time for us, waiting and hoping that the Father will do something for us.

But that is not true. Look at what Jesus prayed when He stood before Lazarus’ tomb. He declared, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” (John 11:41) He prayed these words even before Lazarus came forth from his tomb alive. Jesus knew that what He said would come to pass because the Father always hears Him. (John 11:42)

So what does “Jesus always lives to make intercession for us” mean?

Because Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), we get a picture of what happens when we pray when we understand what the high priest in the Old Testament did with the burnt offering of a bird. (Leviticus 1:14–17)

The birds brought to the high priest are a picture of our prayers “flying” to the Lord Jesus because we pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. Now, just as the high priest removes the bird’s feathers after killing it, Jesus removes all that is superfluous and unclean from our prayers, such as unbelief and self-centeredness.

Then, just as the high priest offers the bird as a burnt sacrifice, a sweet aroma to the Lord, Jesus our High Priest adds His perfection, beauty, excellence and fragrance, which the Father so delights in, to our prayers. That is how He presents our prayers to the Father. That is how He lives to make intercession for you.

My friend, you don’t have to run to a church leader to get him to pray “more powerfully” for you. You can pray yourself. Then, take advantage of Jesus’ intercession for you and say, “Lord Jesus, I don’t know what else to say… please intercede for me.” And when Jesus gives His personal touch to your prayer, you can be sure that it will be answered!

Living the Love Life

By Gloria Copeland Ministries

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. Say:

"Father, in Jesus' Name, I see from Your Word that You were willing to give of Yourself, in the person of Your Son, for all men. I understand that because Jesus is Lord of my life, I, too, am called to give myself to others. I choose to accept that calling today.

"I'll give of my time. I'll give of Your love in me. I'll be strong and lift up those who are weak. I'm willing to be available to be used of You so that those around me might experience the abundant life You have provided.

"You have loved me, Lord, with the greatest love there is. I count it a privilege now to share that love with others. I thank You for it in Jesus' Name. Amen."

The Golf Balls

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle, When 24 Hours in a day is not enough, Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class And had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled..
'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

From Tradition to Truth

By Gloria Copeland Ministries

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
– Psalm 103:2-5

Is there actually a divine purpose behind the bad things that happen in your life? Could it be that the sicknesses and calamities you experience are somehow a part of God's plan for you?

Before you can ever begin to experience the healing, delivering power of God, you've got to know the answer to those questions. You have to settle them once and for all. If you even suspect that God is the source of your misfortunes, you won't be able to believe Him for deliverance from them. Your faith will be crippled because you'll think that by escaping those things, you'll be opposing His will.

In order to receive all the benefits God desires to give you, you must be absolutely sure that He is a good God. You must be certain that His will for you is health, not sickness; prosperity, not poverty; happiness, not sorrow-- 100 percent of the time! Psalm 103 alone is enough to prove that's true. But if it's not enough to convince you, there are many others too. One of the best known verses is Psalm 136:1 that says, "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

If religious traditions have robbed you of the goodness of God, if it's taught you He brings trouble into your life so He can teach you something, start today washing those traditions away with the truth. Get out your Bible and let God Himself tell you through His own Word that He is the God that heals you (Exod. 15:26). Dig into the Scriptures and discover for yourself that He is a God of mercy (Ps. 86:5), loving-kindness (Jer. 9:24), and compassion (Ps. 145:8).

Put your doubts to rest and open your heart to receive the truth about your heavenly Father. It's the only thing that can truly set you free.

God Commands His Blessing On Your Storehouses

By Joseph Prince Ministries New Creation Church

Deuteronomy 28:8
The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses…

When Jesus walked on earth, He had no bank account or Visa card. Yet, He was rich, lacking nothing. He had whatever He needed for Himself as well as for the people around Him. When they needed healing, He provided it. (Matthew 12:15) When they needed food, He provided it. (Matthew 14:13–21) As long as they had Him, they had whatever they needed.

Likewise, when you have Jesus, you have an anointing within that makes you rich, even though in the natural, when you look at your finances, there may not be much. God Himself has promised that He will command the blessing on you in your storehouses. Notice that He said “storehouses”. This means that He will command the blessing on your bank accounts, investment plans and everywhere that you put your money! Your storehouses will be blessed because when God commands the blessing, the blessing has no choice but to come on your storehouses!

We saw this happen to one of our church’s storehouses — our investment in Marine Cove, an open-air, seaside shopping-cum-dining-cum-leisure resort complex. We invested in the place because we wanted to multiply the Lord’s money. We did not want to leave the money in the bank where the interest rate then was less than one per cent. We prayed about it and the Lord led us to invest in Marine Cove.

And since day one, we have been making money from that investment. In fact, our highest annual return was 11 per cent net! When SARS hit Singapore in 2003, people were avoiding the air-conditioned malls and coming to Marine Cove. The place was packed. Only God could have known how things would turn out. We even made money from the parking charges! That was how much the Lord was multiplying His money through our investment.

Beloved, just believe God when He says that He will command His blessing on you in your storehouses. Get ready your storehouses and make room for the blessings. Position yourself to capitalize on the opportunities that He is sending your way!

That Glorious Name

By Kenneth Copeland

And I will do--I Myself will grant--whatever you may ask in My name [presenting all I AM] so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in [through] the Son.
– John 14:13

In Jesus' Name. It's more than a phrase we tack onto the end of our prayers. All that God is and does is represented in the Name of Jesus. The Amplified Bible says when you ask in His Name, you present your requests to the Father on the basis of all that Jesus is. So you can boldly expect to have those requests granted--not because you're worthy, but because He is!

What's more, the Name of Jesus carries authority over all other names. In Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul tells us, "God also hath highly exalted him [Jesus], and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth."

In spite of all the Word of God has to say about the power of the Name of Jesus, most believers don't seem to put much stock in it. They'll pray in the Name of Jesus, then turn right around and say, "I sure hope God answers that prayer." They don't realize that if they only had the faith to believe it, Jesus' Name alone carries enough clout to guarantee their prayers will be answered.

They even let religious slang rob them of the power of using that Name. I've heard many a well-meaning believer end his prayer with the phrase, "For Jesus' sake." But Jesus didn't say to pray for His sake. He said to pray in His Name.

I used to make that mistake myself. One night I was praying because I was suffering from a stomachache. "Oh, for Jesus' sake," I prayed, "heal my stomach."

After I'd said that a few times, the Lord spoke up on the inside of me. "Wait a minute," He said, "whose stomach is hurting here, Mine or yours?"

"Mine!" I answered.

Then He very plainly said, "In that case, pray for your stomach's sake, in My Name!"

Jesus' Name. Dig into the Word and find out just how much power and authority it really carries. Then use that power every time you pray. Stop hoping God will answer and start expecting Him to cause every circumstance in your life to bow its knee in honor of that glorious Name!

Put Patience to Work

By Kenneth Copeland

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. – Hebrews 10:35-36

Most of us have a distorted idea about patience. We think of it as something designed to help us suffer failure gracefully, but according to these scriptures, it will actually put us on the path to success!

Patience (or being consistently constant) is the power twin of faith. They work together to see to it that the promises of God are fulfilled in your life.

Say, for example, you need a job. You can go to the Word and see clearly that God promises to provide your needs. You can see He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants. Once you see that, faith takes hold and you shout, "Hallelujah, I've got the job I need."

But what happens to that faith tomorrow morning when you go to three interviews and get turned down all three times? Then what? That's when patience has to take over! That's when you have to make a decision to stay constant, to act as if nothing's changed.

The truth is, if you based your confidence on the Word of God, nothing has changed. It says exactly the same thing it said yesterday.

So, if you'll put patience to work, you know what you're going to say after those three unsuccessful job interviews? You're going to say, "Hallelujah, I've got the job I need!" just like you did before.

You see, faith opens the door to God's promise for you; and patience keeps it open until that promise is fulfilled.

Do you have your faith sights set on a promise of God today, a promise you've been waiting on for some time? Don't let the delay discourage you. Put patience to work. The Word guarantees you will receive your reward.

Choosing to Become Like Jesus - Rick Warren Ministries 16 Oct 2009 In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that ins

By Rick Warren Ministries

In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:

“This will continue until we are . . . mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him” (Ephesians 4:13 CEV).

Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life as God helps you make healing choices.

The Apostle Paul said, “This will continue until we are …mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him” (Ephesians 4:13 CEV).

As you struggle with your hurts, habits, and hang-ups, it is important to remember you are a work in progress. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect; he knows you will make mistakes. The Bible says we won’t be perfectly like Jesus until we’re able to see Jesus perfectly: “We can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2 NLT).

A simple truth to remember is that God is far more interested in building your character than he is anything else. We worry when God seems silent on a specific issue, but what God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do in a Christlike manner (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Corinthians 16:14; Colossians 3:17, 23).

In other words, God is interested in who you are. For instance, he’s much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career.

The Bible warns, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out…Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you” (Romans 12:2 MSG).

Becoming like Jesus means we must make choices that are countercultural. These kinds of healing choices will protect us from other forces trying to mold us into their image.

Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could simply live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: he wants to make us like himself before he takes us to heaven.

He Will Multiply You

By Joel Osteen Ministries

"And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly"
(Genesis 17:2, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God is in the multiplication business. It doesn't matter what your need is today, God wants to increase you.

One time in the Old Testament, God simply multiplied the sound of four men's footsteps and caused them to sound like a mighty army. When their enemies heard them coming, they took off running. Thousands of people, thousands of troops running for their lives, scared to death, thinking they were being attacked by a massive army, when in fact, it was just four people.

Friend, God can make you seem bigger than you really are. He can make you look more powerful. He knows how to multiply your influence, your strength, your talent. He can multiply your income or whatever else you need! You don't have to figure it all out. All you have to do is believe. If you will release your faith and get up every day expecting God's far and beyond favor, then you're going to see God show up and do amazing things. He’ll bless you beyond your wildest dreams and multiply you in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for Your promise to bless and multiply me. Direct my steps and keep me close to You as I stand in faith for the good things You have in store for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

All That I Have Is Yours

By Joseph Prince Ministries

Luke 15:31
... ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

After running a few errands for his parents, a little boy went to his father and said, “I know why you and mummy had me.” “Why?” asked his father. “So that you guys would have someone to run errands for you!” exclaimed the boy.

Like the little boy, do you see God as a Father who demands obedience and service from you? Have you ever felt that unless you obey Him and keep all His commandments, you don’t have a right to be blessed by Him?

Jesus shared the story of the prodigal son to show how some of us call God “Father” and yet don’t know His heart. There are two sons in this parable. We know what happened to the prodigal son, but we can also learn something about the older son. This is what he said to his father when he discovered that his father had thrown a party to celebrate the return of his irresponsible, spendthrift brother: “Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.” (Luke 15:29)

Now, this son believed that his father had brought him into the world to serve him. He saw his father as someone issuing commandments to him all the time. And he saw himself as someone who had to obey those commandments to enjoy his inheritance. But the truth is that the father had already given him his inheritance. (Luke 15:12) The father even reminded him lovingly: “Son… all that I have is yours.” And I am sure that that inheritance included more than one goat!

Have you, like the older son, failed to understand your Father’s heart? Your heavenly Father already gave you a rich inheritance in Christ when you became His son. He wants you to know that you have received the Spirit of sonship. (Romans 8:15) So call out to Him, “Abba, Father!” and know how much He loves you. Because you are His heir, all that He has is yours to enjoy today!

The Promise Of The Father

By Joseph Prince Ministries New Creation Church

Acts 1:8
8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Before Jesus went back to heaven, He told His disciples to “wait for the Promise of the Father”. (Acts 1:4) There are thousands of promises in the Bible, so which promise was He referring to?

The early church knew which promise Jesus was referring to because He had told His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which you have heard Me speak about. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4–5) Jesus was referring to the baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues. (Acts 2:1–4)

Jesus wants you to know the value of the Promise of the Father because He said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...” He did not say, “You shall do witnessing,” but “You shall be witnesses”. In other words, your very person will be a witness to Him!

This is because the power you receive when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit is the same power that so anointed Peter that the sick were laid on the streets for his shadow to fall on them and heal them. (Acts 5:15) Even handkerchiefs and aprons from Paul’s body were so saturated with the anointing of the Spirit that when they touched the sick, people witnessed diseases and evil spirits leaving the sick! (Acts 19:12)

That same power caused a Holy Spirit-baptized church member, who prayed in tongues, to experience God’s healing power when he laid hands on his mother who was in an advanced stage of cancer. And because she was healed, she became a witness of the love and power of God to her friends and unbelieving relatives.

Beloved, when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you will be a witness to others that no problem, trial, disease or sickness is a match for the power of the Spirit in you!

Let Not Your Heart Be Trouble

By Joseph Prince Ministries

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The night before Jesus died, He gave His peace to His disciples — “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…” This peace was not just for His disciples, but also for us today. We have His peace.

The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, He who is the Prince of Peace comes to live inside you. And when the Prince of Peace resides in you, every blessing that you will ever need pertaining to your soundness and wholeness is already inside you.

“Pastor Prince, if this is true, then why do I still see problems in my health, finances, family and relationships?”

The answer is a troubled heart. That is why after Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you,” He said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

A troubled and fearful heart works like fingers that clamp down hard on a water hose. The supply of water is flowing from the tap, but little or nothing is coming out at the other end of the hose. God’s ever-present supply of blessings toward you is like the water flowing freely from the tap. But you don’t see the blessings when you allow your heart to be gripped by worry or fear.

So when fearful, anxious thoughts come, remind yourself of Jesus’ words: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Even when things appear to get worse, say, “Lord, I refuse to worry about this. In the midst of all this, I see the finished work of Christ. He said, ‘It is finished!’ So my child’s healing is accomplished. My marriage is blessed. My debts are cleared. I will let not my heart be troubled by these things.”

Beloved, I cannot “let not” for you. Your family and friends cannot “let not” for you. Only you can “let not your heart be troubled”. So guard your heart from being troubled. You don’t have to guard your career, reputation, children or even health. When you guard your heart, God will guard everything else for you!

Visits from God

By Joel Osteen Ministries
"…And God has visited His people [in order to help and care for and provide for them]!"
(Luke 7:16, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Every person has times of visitation from the Lord. These are the times when God distinctly intervenes in our lives to bring us help, direction, care, and provision. He's ordained special times to pour out His love, favor, and blessing. It may be through a person we meet, an unexpected promotion, or supernatural favor so that in a split second we are thrust years ahead. These marked moments in our lives keep us on the course of our destiny.

When you really understand this point, you don't have to be frustrated because things aren't happening as fast as you'd like. You don't have to worry about how things will turn out. All you have to do is stay in faith, knowing that God is directing your steps. As long as we keep believing, our marked moments are on their way. Don't allow the enemy to steal your joy or distract you by getting you focused in the wrong direction. Remember, God is on your side, and He is leading you and guiding you in the path of victory in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Heavenly Father, thank You for Your divine favor and direction on my life. I choose to release my cares today and trust wholeheartedly in You. Teach me to recognize those marked moments so that I can give all the glory and praise to You! In Jesus' Name. Amen."

When Tough Times Come

By Gloria Copeland Ministries

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
– Acts 9:31

There are times when life on this earth is hard and uncomfortable...and even downright painful. When those times come, you deeply need the comfort that only the Holy Spirit can bring.

How do you receive that kind of comfort?

By doing just what the believers in Acts did. By "walking in the fear of the Lord."

Now, when I talk about "the fear of the Lord," please understand, I'm not saying you should be afraid of God. He's your Father! You should be as secure and unafraid when you come before Him as a child who knows he is dearly loved. But you must also have so much respect for Him that whenever He reveals something you need to do, you do it immediately-- even if it goes against your natural desires. That's walking in the fear of the Lord.

Let me show you what I mean. Once, several years ago, I received a very disturbing phone call shortly before I was to preach at one of our meetings. It was painful news about a situation in which one of my children had been wronged. The news of it wounded my heart.

I cried, and in the natural, I wanted to get angry about it, to strike back in some way. But instead, I began praying in other tongues. As I prayed, I was prompted in my spirit to rejoice and praise the Lord.

I certainly didn't feel like praising. I felt like stomping my foot. But, out of respect to the Lord, I put my feelings aside and obeyed. Next, the Holy Spirit impressed me to read a particular prophecy. As I did, I could tell I was being strengthened.

Then suddenly, I realized I was free. By my obedience, I had opened myself to the comforting power of the Holy Spirit. The anger and pain that had filled me just moments before were gone! They had been replaced by the gentle love and reassurance of the Lord.

No matter how tough or painful a situation you may be facing today, trust and obey the directions of your Father. He will make that same supernatural, Holy Spirit-inspired comfort available to you!

Your Weakness, God’s Glory

By Rick Warren Ministries

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV).

In the same way God spoke light into the darkness at creation, today he speaks light into the darkness of our hearts. He fills us with the light of the Holy Spirit, so we’re able to see God’s face, Jesus, with greater clarity even as he transforms us into the likeness of Christ.

Our brother, Paul, explains we are jars of clay--fragile, chipped, imperfect--exactly as God designed us to be so others will see the “all-surpassing power” of God through our fractured and shattered lives. We stand as monuments of God’s grace, and we bear an inscription written in God’s own hand: “Within this earthen container, the One True God is at work.”

Your weaknesses are a gift. You are God’s jar of clay, designed exactly the way he intended. In the places you are weak, God is strong. Your weaknesses are an opportunity for God’s light to shine even brighter from within you.

You don’t have to look good. So, stop trying! Just be who you are, a frail human designed by God to reveal his glory. Truthfully, we could use a whole lot more authenticity in the church. If you’re hurt, say it; if you’re angry, admit it; if you’re in love, show it; if you’re wrong, confess it; if you’re in need, reveal it.

Jon Walker is author of 'Growing with Purpose' and editor of the Purpose Driven On-line Devotionals. Find him on Facebook at 'GraceCreates with Jon Walker.' Used by permission. Copyright 2009 by Jon Walker.

See Yourself In Christ

By Joseph Prince Ministries

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

I remember going through a terrible time of depression when I was 18 years old. Believing that I was demon-possessed, I sought out a great man of God to have him cast the devil out of me. But when this man of God laid hands on me, he began to prophesy over me. He said, “Joe, I see you preaching to thousands and used by God to impact thousands of lives. Joe, you are called by God and the devil is attempting to stop you.”

“What? I came here for deliverance! I am only interested in saving my own life, not preaching nor impacting lives,” I thought to myself then.

You see, what happened was that at that moment, God allowed this man to step into the timeless zone He exists in to bring my future before me. As far as God was concerned, my future had already happened, though I was only 18 years old then. Today, I am a pastor of a church which has more than 19,000 members. Today, I am seeing what was told to me long ago.

God does not see as we see. Abraham was a childless, 100-year-old man. His wife, Sarah, at 90 years old, was doubly dead in her womb. (Genesis 17:17) Yet, God saw him and talked to him as if he were already the father of many nations.

My friend, God wants you to see the way He sees. Right now, you may see yourself going through a trial in your marriage, work, finances or health. But God sees a blessed marriage, success at work, supernatural increase in wealth and a healed body because He tells you that you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

You see, God sees you in Christ. So when you see yourself in Christ, who is outside time, you step into the timeless zone. In that timeless zone in Christ, whatever needs and trials of yours are already removed, repaired, restored or resurrected! In that timeless zone in Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!

Choose Life

By Kenneth Copeland Ministries

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
– Romans 8:6

If you were given the choice between life and death, which would you choose? The answer seems obvious. But, in reality, it's not.

You see, choosing death doesn't necessarily mean jumping from the nearest cliff. It's much more subtle than that.

The Bible says death is being carnally minded, being entangled in this present worldly realm. The Bible also tells us what life is. "My son, attend to my words," says Proverbs 4:20-22, "...for they are life!"

To be worldly-minded is death. To be Word-minded is life.

In Luke 10, there's a story that illustrates this principle extremely well. It's the story of Mary and Martha. You probably remember it. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Him teach while Martha was bustling around in the kitchen cooking dinner for everyone.

Finally Martha couldn't stand it anymore. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42).

Mary had set everything else aside, so she could hear the Word. But Martha had let the seemingly important business of living take priority over the Word. She'd chosen death, not life.

You see how easy it is to slip into that?

"But Brother Copeland," you say, "if I didn't spend all my time taking care of the business of living, my life would fall apart!"

Oh, really? Martha probably thought that too. She probably thought if she didn't cook dinner for all those folks, they'd go hungry. But they wouldn't have. Jesus had miraculously fed multitudes before and He could have done it again in Martha's home. She could have plopped herself down at Jesus' feet, and they could have had a banquet at God's expense!

Don't make the mistake that Martha did. Don't get so entangled in the business of living that you choose death by default. Decide to put the Word first place. Choose life!

You Are Here to Enrich the World

"We pray for the children who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes. And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never "counted potatoes," who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money. And we pray for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal, who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed, who never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church and scream in the phone, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being. We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must, who we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance. For those we smother and...for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it."

Love 101

Ever been in love before? Then you will need some teen love advice. This teen love article will help you with your love life and you will experience dramatic changes in falling in love! If you have someone whom you find yourself being able to do absolutely anything for, this teen love article will help you. Don't worry, you are not alone.

Love is an Action
One thing to keep in mind though. LOVE IS AN ACTION. yes that's true. The "thing" that you feel in your heart, or the "feeling that starts at the bottom of your stomach" that is just mere attraction. It has nothing to do with love. Love only starts when you begin to DO things for a person. This does not include words. It starts when you are deciding whether to wake up 5 in the morning to make barley and delivering it to his or her house when he or she is sick OR when you sacrifice going for a party or a movie just to watch him or her study for his or her test. It is all about sacrifices.

Love is a Promise

Another thing that people in love tend to forget. Being together does not mean that one must not be attracted to the other for his or her whole life. You will meet many people, some of whom you will have an immense attraction for. Who knows, things might work out between the two of you. But when you are together with someone else, you made a promise. And that is what differentiates two people having feelings for each other and actually loving the other.

Love means Sacrificing Sometimes

The third thing to keep in mind is that the truth is you are attracted to a HUMAN BEING. There are bound to be differences between the two of you. That includes different ways of handling problems. You need to keep this in mind when working out problems. It is always almost impossible for one end to come to a complete sacrifice. The two parties in the relationship must come together to a compromise. This involves each party to sacrifice a little but isn't this what love is all about?

Motivational Inspirational Quotes III

I wasn't afraid to fail. Something good always comes out of failure.
- Anne Baxter

Keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final.
- Roger W. Babson

I've never been afraid to fail.
- Michael Jordan

All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.
- Walt Disney

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.
- Muhammad Ali

Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.
- Fitzhugh Dodson

My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose - somehow we win out
- Ronald Reagan

All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.
- Winston Churchill

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.
- Zig Ziglar

In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it.
- Jane Smiley

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.
- Norman Vincent Peale

Believe... Someone has to do it, Why Not You?
- Advert

Motivational Inspirational Quotes II

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.
- Longfellow

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it.
- Gale Sayers

The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed.
- Richard B. Sheridan

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
- Henry Ford

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.
- Tommy Lasorda

Don't let go of your dreams. If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go.
- Catherine Pulsifer

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
- Albert Einstein

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
- Thomas Edison

A minute's success pays the failure of years.
- Robert Browning

For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.
- Mary Kay Ash

If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.
- Thomas Watson, Sr

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
- Bill Cosby

Motivational Inspirational Quotes

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
- Lou Holtz

We all have ability.
The difference is how we use it.
- Stevie Wonder

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them.
- Henry David Thoreau

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
- Unknown

Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.
- Frank A. Clark

Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it.
- William Durant

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning.
- Claude Bernard

You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures
- Charles C. Noble. American civil engineer

I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it
- Gale Sawers. NFL Halfback

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm
- Winston Churchill

Meaningful Love Quotes III

" There are 3 great things in this world. The first thing is for you to love someone. The second thing is for someone to love you back and the third greatest thing is for the first and second thing to happen at the same time ... "

" It's hard to live alone, its hard to choose someone to love, but the hardest part of falling is to admit that you have fallen in love with someone you didn't mean to love from the start... "

" You'r heart is one of your most prized possessions, be careful who you give it to. "

"Love starts with a smile, Grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear. "

" Love can touch just one time, but it can last for a life time. "

" Don't frown, because you never know when someone is falling in love with your smile. "

" Love wasn't put in your heart to stay, because Love isn't Love until you give it away. "

" Guys are like stars, there are millions out there, but only one can make your dreams come true. "

" Love is like a roller coaster. Once you have completed the ride, you want to go again. "

" It is far better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all "

"We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon. But that doesn't diminish its value. Because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives."

" I was lonely and scared I asked god for an angel and he sent me something even better he sent me you. "

" Some people think they have to say they are in love so they believe themselves, others don't need to say it because they are. "

" Love can be trying and hard to accomplish but when you have love always hold it close to your heart because you never know when you have to let it go. "

" The way to know true and selfless love is rather than trying to change the one you love to fit your way, change instead your way to fit the one you love. "

Meaningful Love Quotes II

"Love is not measured by how you feel, but how you make the other person feel."

"When traveling the path of life, and finding love along the way, everything looks new and different. Little do you know it is the same old landscape you used to see all of the time; love has just given you new eyes."

"You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry."

"Real tears are not those that fall from the eyes and cover the face, but those that fall from the heart and cover the soul."

"It takes a life time to find someone, but only a moment to fall in love."

"If you love someone you give everything you can and not expecting on any return."

"True love is when you have to watch a friend leave, with the knowledge that you might never see him again. But you know he'll be in your mind and heart forever..."

"People won't remember what you did. People won't remember what you said. But, people will remember how you made them feel."

"True love is falling in love with your best friend, and only then, will you find the meaning of happiness."

"You never truly love a person until the mere thought of you hurting that loved one is enough to break your own heart"

" So often we don't say 'I love you' because we fear losing someone,
but more often we lose them because we fear saying 'I love you' "

" Never say goodbye when you still want to try. never give up when you still feel that you can take it. never say you no longer love a person when you can't let go.. "

" It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but its also true that we don't know what we've been missing on until it arrives."

" Never say 'I like you' if you don't care. never talk about feelings if they're not there. never touch a life if you mean to break a heart. "

" At least be there to wipe away my tears if you're going to make me cry. "

" If you love someone, tell them... for hearts are often broken by words left unspoken. "

" You can fall in love in an instant. It's letting go that takes time."

" A kiss is just a kiss until you find the one you love. A hug is just a hug until its the one your thinking of. A dream is just a dream until you make it come true. Love is just a work until its proven to you. "

" The more you love, the more you lose a part of you. Yet you dont become less of you are, instead you end up being complete... "

Meaningful Love Quotes I

"When You Say I Love You Mean It"

"Believe In Love At First Sight"

"To Fear Love Is To Fear Life"

"Somewhere There's Someone Who Dreams Of Your Smile, And Finds In Your Presence That Life Is Worth While, So When You Are Lonely Remember It's True; Somebody Somewhere Is Thinking Of You"

"Love Is Like Quicksand: The Deeper You Fall In It The Harder It Is To Get Out"

"Love Is Running Into His Arms Colliding With His Heart And Exploding Into His Soul"

"If You Get A Chance To See Him, Your Heart Begins To Dance. Your Life Revolves Around Him, There's Nothing Like Romance"

"A guy and a girl can be just friends but at one point or another one of them will fall for the other, maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late or maybe, just maybe ...forever."

"Life is only worth living once you've found someone worth dying for."

"I could never regret loving you because even if you didn't love me anymore, I know that you once did and that is the most wonderful feeling because I never thought that I deserved your love."

"Sometimes in love you must accept the fact that what makes the person you cared about happy might on the other hand leave you so lonely."

"True love is, when everything in the world is going wrong, all you have to do is look at that special person and, suddenly, everything in the world is right again."

"Love is just a word till someone you meet gives it a meaning."

"A love so pure and true will never die... it lives in the depth of your heart until the end of time."

"The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you love them."

"Loving someone is loving that someone despite that person's flaws and weakness."

"Love starts with a smile grows with a kiss and ends with a tear."

"When you are in love nothing matters except that the other person is happy."

"You fail to see the one who loves you standing right in front as does she fail to see you love her in turn. Don't wait to tell her because it might be to late then."

"If she is the first thing you think of when you wake up, the only thing you think of when you're awake, and the last thing you think of before you go to bed, then she is really somebody special."

"You know you love someone when you cannot put into words how they make you feel."

"You may not have heard me speak to you that I love you, but the way that I look into your eyes, the way I smile when you pass by, and the way that my heart feels when you are near... all speaks of what best describes the love that I feel."

"I don't need anyone to take advantage of my weaknesses or my strengths, I need someone who will appreciate me for everything that I am."