GOSPEL CORNER:WHOEVER IS SLOW TO ANGER IS BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY, AND HE WHO RULES HIS SPIRIT THAN HE WHO TAKES A CITY.PROVERBS 16:32, ESV

15/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32, ESV

WHAT’S IN YOUR ATMOSPHERE?
You have a space that belongs only to you. It’s your thoughts, your attitude, your emotions. It’s who you spend time with, what you watch and listen to. That’s your atmosphere. That’s what you have control over. Some people live worried, offended, and negative because they let all that in—the bad news, the negative medical report, the criticism from coworkers. That sours their life. The problem is they’re not ruling their atmosphere. They’re not careful what they allow into their spirit. You can’t stop everything from coming, but you can stop it from getting down in your spirit. You need to keep your atmosphere full of faith, full of praise, full of hope, full of victory. Anything or anyone that tries to poison that atmosphere, you have to say, “No, thanks. You’re not welcome here. I’m not letting that offense in. I’m going to stay in peace. I’m going to enjoy this day.” You don’t have control over what people do, but you have control over your thoughts, your attitude, and how you respond.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You for the ability to control my atmosphere. I can’t control what others say or do or control negative circumstances around me, but I can rule my spirit. I’m going to stay in peace and say no to whatever tries to poison my atmosphere. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
The apostle Paul tells believers who have been born again in Christ that God the Father “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13–14).

Notice that there has been a change of location. You used to be under the power of darkness. But the moment you believed in Jesus, you were moved and placed under the blood of Jesus, where there is perpetual forgiveness of sins.

To understand the total forgiveness of sins, we have to understand the value of the person Who sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. He alone, because He was sinless, could pay for all the sins of every man.

When our Lord Jesus died at Calvary, He took all of humanity’s sins with one sacrifice of Himself at the cross. He took the judgment, punishment, and condemnation for all sins upon Himself. That’s the value of the one Man, Jesus. He is an overpayment for all our sins.

Jesus is the only way to salvation. There is no other way except through Jesus and His shed blood.

Now, does that mean that everyone is automatically forgiven? Of course not! While everyone’s sin is paid for, every individual needs to make a personal decision to receive the forgiveness of all their sins by receiving Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

There is no ambivalence in scripture as to how a person becomes a born-again believer in Christ. To be saved, you have to confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

Therefore, anyone who tells you that everyone’s sin is automatically forgiven and that you don’t need to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior in order to be saved is scripturally inaccurate. Such teachings are heretical and are lies from the pit of hell.

There is no salvation without Jesus. There is no forgiveness without the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. There is no assurance that all our sins have been forgiven without the resurrection of Jesus.

But today, as born-again believers in Christ, there is forgiveness and the amazing assurance that our salvation is secure and we will never be put to shame! This is our reality today—we can enjoy His presence, His righteousness, and His help every day and in every season.