The Watchman Intercessor Assembly 2012, hosted by Bill Hamon, brings prophets and watchmen together to discern national and international events. This year’s event will be April 2-5 in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., and includes Cindy Jacobs, Jane Hamon, Ana Maldonado and Barbara Yoder.
Marvin Sapp’s music has long been known to weave the pain of life’s circumstances with a determination to praise Jesus. His latest album, I Win (Verity Records), releasing this month, once again propels listeners toward victory as they worship no matter what the cost.
Singer, actor and author Rebecca St. James adds another role to her resume—video devotional host—as she presents Watch & Talk (Bridgestone Multimedia Group). The first three volumes each feature five short films (a blend of modern-day parables and familiar Bible stories retold), paired with related Scripture passages and questions designed to help families reflect on what they’ve watched.
Kay Warren, wife of popular pastor Rick Warren, gives women a crash course in joy with her new book, Choose Joy (Revell). Kay shares how joy isn’t determined by circumstance and establishes basic truths that prove how accessible joy is to anyone.
Joyce Meyer builds on her staple message of using your mind to conquer problems with Do Yourself a Favor … Forgive (FaithWords). The book focuses on teaching believers to take control of their lives by using forgiveness.
Christians and the Digital Revolution
Are you struggling to keep up with the current media trends? Do you feel as if all this “new media” is on the verge of overwhelming you? Then check out what Christian media consultant Phil Cooke has to say about the church embracing the new digital revolution at .
Behind The Scenes With Joyce Meyer
Millions of people around the world know popular televangelist Joyce Meyer because of her television and radio broadcasts. But few see the humanitarian work she does off the air. Visit to see how Meyer’s Hand of Hope ministry is radically impacting lives.
Jesus’ Painful Prayers
Jesus lived on the earth just as we do, so why is it so hard for us to believe that He too had to pray painful prayers? Find out how Christ responded to difficult situations at .
How the Old Testament Points to Christ
Jonathan Bernis teaches on Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament and shows us how it points to Christ at .
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God. —1 John 3:21
Total forgiveness must take place in the heart or it is worthless. If forgiveness truly takes place in the heart, one does not need to know whether one’s enemy will reconcile. If I have forgiven him in my heart of hearts, but he still doesn’t want to speak to me, I can still have the inner victory. It may be far easier to forgive when we know that those who maligned or betrayed us are sorry for what they did, but if I must have this knowledge before I can forgive, I may never have the victory over my bitterness.
If Jesus had waited until His enemies felt some guilt or shame for their words and actions, He would never have forgiven them.
It is my experience that most people we must forgive do not believe they have done anything wrong at all, or if they know that they did something wrong, they believe it was justified. I would even go so far as to say that at least 90 percent of all the people I’ve had to forgive would be indignant at the thought that they had done something wrong.
Total forgiveness, therefore, must take place in the heart. If I have a genuine heart experience, I will not be devastated if there is no reconciliation. If those who hurt me don’t want to continue a relationship with me, it isn’t my problem because I have forgiven them. This is also why a person can achieve inner peace even when forgiving someone who has died.
Confidence toward God is ultimately what total forgiveness is all about; He is the one I want to please at the end of the day. He cares and knows whether I have truly and totally forgiven, and when I know I have His love and approval, I am one very happy and contented servant of Christ.
Excerpted from Total Forgiveness (Charisma House, 2002).
But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. —1 Corinthians 11:31
This verse is important for Christian living. Three things lie behind this verse. The first is undiscovered sin. God focuses on sin that has not been brought to your attention. It has always been there, but, for some reason, you did not realize it.
For years I did not see it, but I was such a murmurer and such a complainer. I am sure everyone else who knew me saw it, because others always see our faults! We just cannot see them in ourselves. But there came a time when, thank God, He just grabbed me and showed me.
But why was I not aware of that sin before? The simple answer is that I was not listening to God. I was not spiritual enough to recognize it. It is no coincidence that great spirituality always carries with it a great sense of sin.
The second is unconfessed sin. Why does anybody confess sin? It is because we are ashamed. We can confess sin because we are truly sorry, and when we are sorry we turn from it. That does not mean we will be perfect, but we will loathe ourselves for our imperfection and try by the grace of God not to repeat it.
The third point is unrestituted sin, which is when you refuse to make things right. So why would you make restitution? There are two simple reasons to do so. First, you will give another person peace. The second reason is that you will get peace yourself by doing it. Not all confessed sin requires this, of course, but there comes a time when you have no choice but to make things right with a fellow Christian. And when you make restitution, it will give him peace, and you will be at peace.
If you deal with the sin now, it will not show up then. Sweep it under the carpet now, and it will come out then.
Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. —1 Corinthians 1:25
Jacob is one of the most important characters in the Old Testament. He was the grandson of Abraham, the son of Isaac, and the third of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If we look at Jacob’s life, we soon recognize that the Bible does not cover up the weaknesses and frailty of its heroes. Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel, was not a particularly attractive person.
If ever there was anyone who knew the guilt of failure, then Jacob is your man. The name Jacob means “heel” (or possibly “deceiver”). Jacob was the world’s greatest manipulator. He wanted to control people. He was a terrible parent and brother. He stole his twin brother Esau’s blessing, and, by cunning, he tricked him into selling his birthright.
Jacob may have been a complainer, a controller, but God loved him. “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Rom. 9:13). Jacob, though not a very nice guy and not a very attractive person, was loved by God. When it came to the end of Jacob’s life, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews chose one event, which says that “Jacob . . .worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff” (Heb. 11:21). It shows him in his old age before he died, looking back on his life, a life riddled with guilt, but a life that, when it was all over, turned out as if it were perfect. He got his son back. He learned to appreciate Leah and the things God had done for him.
The “Jacobs” of this world aren’t very pleasant, but God loves them.
God loves failures. Do you know why? It’s because He wants to take your life, turn it into a trophy of grace, and bring you to the place where you see that His hand has always been on you. He wants to turn that failure into a blessing.
Excerpted from All’s Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).
Using biblical affirmations and motivating examples, The 24-Hour Turn-Around (Revell) challenges readers to commit 24 hours to learning life-changing principles. Once applied, believers will be equipped to make life-altering decisions for their career, health, relationships and overall attitude.