Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: james

John Hagee (June-12-2022) Daily Devotional: James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Elisha offered a simple solution when Naaman, the leper, visited him seeking a cure. If he would go dip seven times in the Jordan River, he would be healed (2 Kings 5).  

Naaman was furious but eventually decided to comply. We can imagine his thoughts because ours would be similar today. Down he went, and up he came seven times.  

After the first time, he might have thought, “How embarrassing! Why are all of these people gawking at me?”  

After the second time: “This water is cold and filthy! Is this some alternative therapy?”  

After the third time: “What will become of my family if this does not work?”  

After the fourth time: “Who will lead the king’s troops into battle?”  

After the fifth time: “Does the God of Israel care enough to heal me?”  

After the sixth time: “The leprosy is not shrinking at all!”  

After the seventh time: “Nothing has changed! God, please!”  Naaman must have been tempted to haul himself out of the water. If he would have immersed himself only six times, he would have died, because partial obedience is disobedience in the Lord’s eyes.  

Down he went into the muddy waters for the seventh time, and up he came with clean, baby-soft skin! When God gives a command, hurry to obey it to the last detail. Restoration waits on the other side! 

Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace.  Be quick to listen and do what God says. Blessed are you if you hear the word of God and obey it!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - 1 Kings 9:1-10:29
• New Testament - Acts 8:14-40
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 130:1-8, Proverbs 17:2-3

John Hagee (April-10-2022) Daily Devotional: James 5:16 - The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The tragedy of our modern-day society is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer. God knows your every thought, need, and desire, but He is waiting for you to ask for great things. When you call on His name, do you ask God to help you find an umbrella for the storm ahead, or to help you build an ark? When you pray in faith believing, expect mighty things to happen.

The Word says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain. Does the circumstance you are currently in look like a mountain of impossibility? Pray in Jesus' name. Have faith that what you are asking God for, He can and will do.

Speak to the mountain with total authority and watch as the things in your life begin to line up with the Word of God. You will start to gain favor among God and men. This doesn't mean that you will have sunshine every day, but it means that the Son will shine in your life and light your pathway. You will have the best of things in the worst of times as you trust the Savior to lead you in paths of righteousness.

God is ready to remove the mountain of impossibility in your life if you will only ask.

Blessing:  May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you climb the mountain with the full expectation that God's answer is before you. You will receive heaven's best because your Father in heaven desires to give you the best of things. Amen and amen!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24
• New Testament - Luke 13:23-14:6
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 79:1-13, Proverbs 12:26

John Hagee (January-10-2022) Daily Devotional: James 5:11 - Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

God values persistence. He honors those who are faithful, who hang on to hope and continue to believe for breakthrough.

When we continue to profess God’s faithfulness, when we persevere with patience, and when we wait with hope, the mountain of impossibility begins to move.

The prophet, Daniel, exemplifies the supernatural law of breakthrough. After receiving a message from the angel, Gabriel, regarding the desolation that would besiege Jerusalem, Daniel began to fast and pray.

On the twenty-first day of his fast, an angel appeared. God heard the very first prayer on the very first day, and He sent an angel in instant response. However, the angel was delayed by a demonic force that warred against him until reinforcements arrived. Only then was he able to carry the answer to Daniel.

The response that was sent on Day One took twenty days to sort out in heavenly places. If Daniel would not have persevered through the twentieth day, the angel could not have prevailed to bring the answer he sought.

Make perseverance a priority! Continue on course in spite of difficulty or delay. Do not forfeit the blessings of God by bowing out before the breakthrough. Do not pack it in right before the promises become your reality.

Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. No enemy can defeat you. No foe can oppose you. Persevere for the promises of God. He will never disappoint you!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Genesis 23:1-24:51
• New Testament - Matthew 8:1-17
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

John Hagee (December-18-2021) Daily Devotional: James 1:4 - But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing

How easy it is to become impatient in the maturing process! We want to hurry things along to the harvest, but growth requires time and patience.

God has a plan for carrying you to completion. He sends the sunshine and pours out the rain. He lifts up and prunes to produce much fruit. He plans to make every barren area abundant. His intention is not to harm, but to prosper.

Do not resent the growth process as some sort of intrusion in your life. Do not try to cut it off prematurely. Allow patience to do its work in you until you fully bloom and produce the fruit that God seeks.

Endure the season of sorrow because joy comes in the morning. Trust through the time of need because the righteous have never been forsaken; His children do not beg for bread. In the middle of the tempest, be assured that God rides on the wings of the storm. In the day of battle, find defense in our Shield and Defender. Even in the fiery furnace, He walks beside us through the flames.

Trust Him as you allow patience to perform its refining work. Like those plump, purple grapes, your life will be a perfect thing of beauty in His hands.

Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. He who began a good work in you will continue to develop it until Jesus returns. May His perfect will be accomplished in you through the power of Jesus’ name…amen.

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Habakkuk 1:1-3:19
• New Testament - Revelation 9:1-21
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 137:1-9, Proverbs 30:10

John Hagee (December-16-2021) Daily Devotional: James 1:19 - So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

When we fail to respond properly to the Word of God, the Vinedresser picks up His tools. He sees us in need of pruning.

Be swift to hear! Jesus said it this way, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:9). He was emphasizing the difference between an auditory function and an action. “He who has ears to hear” indicates an auditory function. “…let him hear” indicates a heart function.

When we hear the Word of God and respond from our hearts, it carries impact in our lives. But we can be slow of hearing. When we hear and fully understand, but we debate it...our debate is disobedience.

When Jesus spoke to the people, He said, “…hearing they do not hear…” (Matthew 13:13). They had closed their eyes and stopped up their ears. Their hearts were dulled, their understanding dimmed.

Obedience to His Word brings the blessings of God into our lives. Even though we may not completely comprehend His commands, we can trust Him. Delay and debate bring about His chastening.

It begins with a listening ear. When we hear it in His Word, let’s be quick to put it into practice. With our ears, with our hearts, let’s be swift to hear.

Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you have eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart that is open to His Word, and feet that run to obey His commands. Receive the power of His truth in your life!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Micah 5:1-7:20
• New Testament - Revelation 7:1-17
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 135:1-21, Proverbs 30:5-6

John Hagee (August-21-2021) Daily Devotional: James 1:14-16 - But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

Each one of us is enticed by Satan with tailor-made temptations. When we act on those temptations, sin is conceived and produces death.

God knows that sin will steal our potential and kill the plans that He has for us. His desire is for us to stop sin before it stops us.

S – Sinful thoughts confessed.

When we continue to dwell on those temptations, they lead to action. Kill those tempting thoughts by confessing them to Jesus before they can conceive sin.

T – Think on these things.

After we confess sinful thoughts, change the channel. We must take control of our thought lives. Think about things that are pure, right, noble, worthy, beautiful, and good (Philippians 4:8).

O – Order our thoughts.

Take every thought captive. From sophisticated arguments to foolish fantasies, we must bring every thought into obedience to Christ.

P – Pursue Christ relentlessly.

In Christ alone, we find the power to overcome sin. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. With every temptation, He provides a way of escape. 

Live with eyes wide open, aware of the ways Satan will tempt us to sin. Stop sin before it stops you!

Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you be quick to confess temptations and to ask for Jesus’ help to address them. May you keep your thought life in order as you pursue the Lord and His will. He will withhold no good thing from you. In Jesus’ name…amen.

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Esther 8:1-10:3
• New Testament - 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 37:1-11, Proverbs 21:23-24

John Hagee (July-26-2021) Daily Devotional: James 5:16 - Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Marriage can take its toll in wounds and scars. As two people learn to live together, pain is inevitably inflicted on one another.

When we are hurting, the temptation is to isolate ourselves from others. The reasons vary: protection against ongoing pain, embarrassment over our weakness, fear of rejection, even passive aggression.

Just as Nehemiah enlisted help to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, we must call on those we trust to help us rebuild the damaged walls in our marriages. We must insulate ourselves, surround our relationships with people we can count on to pray, encourage, and counsel us as we build our marriages and families.

Instead of pulling back and hiding alone, today’s verse admonishes us to confess our weaknesses to one another. When we agree together in prayer, our hurt is healed, and our brokenness is restored. The prayers of those who have gone through the battles, who have persevered through trials, and have come out victorious on the other side are powerful and effective.

When troubles come, do not fall into the trap of isolation. Instead, insulate your marriage with those who will assist you in the good work of building a strong relationship and family.

Blessing:  And now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May God bless you and your spouse with those who will pray and encourage your relationship. He will protect you with His might and surround you with the wise counsel your marriage needs to thrive. In Jesus’ name…amen.

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34
• New Testament - Romans 9:25-10:12
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 20:1-9, Proverbs 20:2-3

John Hagee (March-27-2023) Daily Devotional: James 5:15-16 - And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Few pains cut so deep as that of the Christian parent whose child has wandered far from God. We raised them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, but they have rejected the faith of their youth. We trained them in the way they should go, but they have forsaken that path for their own. Like the father of the prodigal son, our eyes scan the road each day, looking for signs of our child’s return from a far country.

Too often, we run to their rescue. We defend and debate. We coax and cajole. We aid and abet. Instead, with hearts full of faith, we can relinquish them to God’s hands. We can trust His good heart towards them. He alone can stir up a hunger and thirst for righteousness. He knows how to arrest their attention. Even if their hearts are broken, He will collect all the pieces and give them brand-new hearts. Even in utter desolation, He can restore and return the years the enemy has stolen. He knows how to capture their hearts again.

Now, more than ever, we should be full of faith for our children. We do not give in to despair or defeat. Every prayer will be a sharp, pointed arrow targeted to bring down the evil schemes of the enemy in the lives of our children. Now is the time to pray in faith without doubting (James 1:6). Now is the time to hold on tight to God with both hands. Now is the time to open our hands and release our children into His hands.

He will whistle, and our children will come running to be set free (Zechariah 10:8-9). In Isaiah 43, God encourages us to trust Him – don’t be afraid. He is in our corner. He will round up our scattered children and pull them in from the east and the west. He will send orders to the north and south to send back our sons from distant lands and our daughters from faraway places. “I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one” (Isaiah 43:5-7, The Message).

Full of faith, we stand in the gap for our beloved sons and daughters. We won’t give up. We won’t back down. As long as we have breath, we pray for their joyous return.

Today's Blessing: Heavenly Father, I stand in the gap for my child. I pray for his safe return to the fold. Protect him in his wanderings, but do what You must to get his attention, to bring him home. In the name of Jesus…Amen.

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
• New Testament - Luke 7:36-8:3
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 69:1-14, Proverbs 12:1

John Hagee (February-23-2023) Daily Devotional: James 4:2 - You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

You know that God can do more for you in a moment than you could do for yourself in ten lifetimes. But what if He is waiting on you to participate in the process? You may know exactly what you want God to accomplish in your life and believe that He has the power to do it. The problem is not that the provision isn’t made. The problem is you’re not reaching for the provision and doing what God has asked you to do.

Here’s what I mean. God will not answer prayer until you pray. God “will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” until you are giving (Mal. 3:10). God will not “forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” until we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). But the moment that you do, the moment you reach out to Him in faith believing, suddenly all of heaven and earth begin to move on your behalf because that’s just how much God truly wants to bless you. Take the step that God is asking you to take, and you’ll move in the faith that overcomes the world.

Today's Blessing: And now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you. And may the Lord be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you celebrate in the joy and the peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May He remove the pain of the failures in your past. May He remove the criticisms in your life that have scarred you by persons of influence. May you walk with divine victory because heaven is on your side, and God has given you all things for your life to be totally blessed. Go with this blessing and live a life of victory rejoicing in Jesus Christ. And all of God’s children said, “Praise the Lord.”

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Leviticus 14:1-57
• New Testament - Mark 6:30-56
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 40:1-10, Proverbs 10:11-12

John Hagee (January-04-2023) Daily Devotional: James 5:17 - Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

James says there was nothing special about the prophet Elijah. He wasn’t an Old Testament Jedi. He was just a human being. But when you read how he faced 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, called down fire from heaven, and brought Israel back to worshipping the Lord, here’s what made him stand out.When God needed someone to take a stand for righteousness, he was willing to be used. He refused to spend his life complaining about what was wrong. He had the boldness to do what needed to be done when others were afraid to speak up.

In today’s world, God needs you to be willing to speak up for Him. He might send you to the boardroom to speak to people who
are only concerned about the bottom line and tell them,“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” He might send you to your living room to declare that your family needs to be a household of faith.He might send you to the hallways of your high school to unashamedly tell your friends that you are a child of the living God.Whatever God wants you to do, have the courage to leave a mark.

Today's Blessing:  Now Father, we thank You for Your presence. We thank You that You have plans to prosper us. I ask that You would bless and keep every individual; make Your face to shine upon them; be gracious unto them and give them Your peace that surpasses all understanding. From this day forward, let their minds be set on the things that God has appointed for them, and let them lock out every voice that would distract them. Let every step they take, be ordered of the Lord, and let everything that they put their hands to prosper in the power of God, and give them boldness to walk every day, henceforth, knowing that they can do all things through Christ. It’s in Your name we pray and ask.

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Genesis 8:1-10:32
• New Testament - Matthew 4:12-25
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalms 4:1-8, Proverbs 1:20-23