Epraize

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Behold the half of my goods I give to the poor, And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. LUKE 19:8 

Zacchaeus had a bad reputation; as a tax collector he got rich by bilking people. And the fact that Jesus spent the night at his house shocked the religious community. We’re not privy to what Jesus told Zacchaeus that night, but it caused him to respond, ‘Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus answered, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’ (Luke 19:9 NIV) Why You Need Courage

There’s an important lesson here about becoming whole. The basis of true emotional healing rests on your willingness to forgive and, when possible, make amends to those you’ve hurt. If you owe someone a debt, you must try to pay it. If you’ve wounded them, you must apologise and try to restore the relationship.

Jesus said: ‘So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.’ (Matthew 5:23–25 ESV) The Lord Knows Where You Are

So, who do you need to make things right with today? Pray for grace—then go take care of it. When you do God will bless you, and you’ll feel better about yourself too!

More Reading: Isaiah 30–33, John 7:14–24, Psalm 104:24–35

It is written in Proverbs 14:2 There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death. It is also written in Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. This leads me to the question. Who or what shall I believe. Lets look at what the Bible says about believing. In the book of John 6:28 it says Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.

Look at John 3:18 it says Whoever believes in him is not condemned whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict; Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

Living in righteous is believing in Jesus. It says in the book of Romans 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Now look at Romans 10:9 it says That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. MORE THAN WE ASK

As the Scripture says, Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

Now look at Romans 16:17 it says I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in you way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving the Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. It goes on to say at verse 25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him--to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen

There is a punishment for those don't believe. It says in the book 2Thessalonians 2:9 it says The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. DO IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1 In the book of James 2:18 it says But someone will say You have faith; I have deeds. Show me you faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
It says in John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in is name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decisions or a husband's will, but born of God.

Now in John 2:22 it says Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. In the book of Galatians 3:6 it says Consider Abraham: He believed God, and it was a credited to him as righteousness. Understand , then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance Abraham; All nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. In the book of James 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him a righteousness, and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

What a Blessing For Believing
It is written in the book of Mark 9:23 it says If you can? Said Jesus, Everything is possible for him who believes. It says in Mark 11:22 Have faith in God, Jesus answered. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, Go , throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believe that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Now look at Mark 16:16 it says Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Now take a look at Matthew 5:11 it says Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. The Engrafted Word

In the book of Ephesians 1:3 it says Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. At Ephesians 2:6 it says And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Too conclude look at 1Peter 2:17 it says Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. Now look at John 20:31 it says But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

In this first verse, God says He will allow all the nations of the world to come against Jerusalem. This verse tells us that Jerusalem will be taken, the houses will be "rifled," and the women ravished. Half of the city will actually go into captivity, but the one third remnant will not be killed during this takeover. Remember, two thirds of the Jewish people will be killed, one third will not.

It's right at this point that Jesus will come forth to fight for His people and put an end to all the bloodshed. His feet will land on the Mount of Olives. Here is the verse!

 "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Then the Lord will go forth and fight against these nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley ... Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you ... and the Lord shall be King over all the earth ... the people dwell in it; and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths." (Zechariah 14:1-12)

 "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great."
And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh." (Revelations 19:17-21)

3. Now what happens to Satan, the Dragon who orchestrated all the events of the Great Tribulation? Here is what Jesus does with him.

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him up for one thousand years; and he cast him onto the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the one thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a season." (Revelations 20:1-3)

As you will see a little further down, God will let Satan loose for a "season" at the end of the 1000 Millennium to set up one more battle before we finally get the new heaven and new earth.

The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Proverbs 20: 5. It has been said that to be careful what you ask for you just might get it. The Bible says; ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7. What a blessing to know that whatever you ask for you will receive it as long as it is in line with the word of Jesus Christ. Did you know that we have powerful tools we can use which is our speech, and minds. The Bible tells us over and over again that if we ask for anything in Jesus name we shall receive it. Trials

Lets look at James 3:4 it says Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are drive by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. It says at Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 17:20 it says A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

It is also mention in 1Peter 3:10 For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Wow!!! Is that wonderful or what to know that Jesus listens to your prayers. Now look at Mark 11:24 it says Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that you Father in heaven may for give you your sins. The Cure for Spiritual Boredom

Do you remember the fig tree? You can read it at Matthew 21: 18, but look at Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea; and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Now look At Ephesians 3:20 it says Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

We all need to know; By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not make out of what is visible. Hebrews 11:3 Take a look at Matthew 12:36 it says But I tell you that men will have to give account of the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. At Proverbs 28:23 it says He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue. So please build up a strong faith in Jesus Christ, and keep praying and asking in Jesus name. Bringing Down Your Goliath

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)
 
To overcome the fear of loneliness you must:
(1) Understand who you are. Let scientists argue about whether or not there was a ‘big bang.’ If there was, you were not the result of it! Nor did you descend from an amoeba in a pond. You are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14). Made ‘in His own image’ (Genesis 1:27). God didn’t assign your creation to His most powerful angels. You’re a hands-on, made-to-order, one-of-a-kind product. As a redeemed child of God you are His ‘…workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…’ (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) Believe that and stand on it-regardless of your feelings or your social status.

(2) Understand who God is. He calls Himself your ‘Heavenly Father’, not just your creator and designer. Your creator and designer refer to what He does; your Father refers to who He . ‘He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6 NIV) These aren’t His roles, they’re His proper names. They are capitalised in Scripture because they are what you are to call Him! When Jesus taught us to pray He didn’t begin with ‘O, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.’ Don't Be Afraid of Failure

Yes, He’s all of those, but when it comes to us He wants to be recognised and called ‘Father’ (Matthew 6:9). That’s how He thinks about us, and wants us to think and to feel about Him. ‘Father’ is meant to convey warmth, security, acceptance, concern, compassion, protection, assurance, provision etc. He’s your Father-when you grasp the truth of that you will begin to overcome the fear of loneliness.

Overcoming the fear of loneliness requires understanding God’s commitment to you. His Fatherhood isn’t based upon mood, sentiment or emotion; it’s based on His unchanging character and faithfulness. ‘For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own.’ (1 Samuel 12:22 NIV) Notice two things in this Scripture: Concern for His good name and the pleasure He takes in being your Father are reasons why He will never turn His back on you. Your problems don’t mean that God is judging or disowning you.

Satan would love to convince you of that. He will tell you that you’ve failed God, or that God has failed you in order to make you feel unworthy, hopeless, disowned by God and abandoned. No, generations of believers have sung through their soul’s dark night, ‘Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father.’ In your circumstances and suffering, ‘…His compassions never fail. The Benefits of Reading God's Word

They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness…’ (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV) Suffering and adversity don’t cancel His faithfulness, He’s ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever.’ (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV) He can’t love you once, and not love you always. ‘After you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling…’ (1 Peter 5:10 NCV) Today declare, ‘Nothing can ever separate me from God’s love.’

More Reading: 1Kings 10-11, Matthew 22:15-22, Psalm 27, Proverbs 7:10-20