The first two chapters of the Bible tell how, "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and created Eve as his companion and helper. Life in the garden was good, but it didn't take long for the deception of the devil to really mess things up.

God had given Adam and Eve the freedom to eat from any tree in the garden – any tree except one; "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). God's instructions were clear and His consequences for disobedience severe. But when the devil first confronted Eve, he began by slightly changing God's Word in order to cause doubt. "He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1)

This slight shift from a single tree to ANY tree put Eve immediately on the defensive: "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden'" (Genesis 3:2-3). The devil continued his attack by giving Eve a different interpretation of God's Word: "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God" (Genesis 3:4-5). Eve clearly knew the truth; but without a firm conviction to obey at all cost, she evaluated the merit of the devil's lie and, being unable to refute his reasoning, gave in to sin.

In the several thousand years since that first confrontation, the tactics of the devil are still pretty much the same. His attack always begins with getting us to shift from the absolute nature of God's Word, causing us to doubt and defend against his deception.

God's Word says: "Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). But the devil says: "Did God really say there is only one way? Surely God wants everyone to go to heaven and will accept many beliefs as long as they are good and sincere." This deception pulls people from God's path every day. Jesus clearly said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). The one and ONLY way is Jesus!

If we are not firm in our conviction that God's Word is true, we too will become vulnerable to the devil's attacks of doubt and will soon begin to believe his twisted lies. God's Word says our most important "duty" is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). Let's prepare by studying His Word, praying for wisdom to know His truth, and loving Him with our absolute ALL. Let's hold firmly to God's Word and not be even slightly shaken when the enemy asks: Did God really say?

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.06. Live for God, on purpose, not falling prey to any of the devices of the enemy!

Victory Over Obstacles

“Detour Ahead!” “Road Construction – Bridge Out”

Is there anything more frustrating when you are on a trip than encountering some sort of detour? You have a schedule and plans, and the detour, the construction, the re-routing, the heavy traffic – you just know that you are going to be running late, and that all of your well-made plans will now be turned upside down and inside out.

I must confess, it is times like that when I tend to be more “in the flesh” than any other time! Patience in traffic situations is something that continually is my prayer need!

But, the reality is, there is no avoiding these obstacles in life. In so many places, at so many times, the unexpected comes up, and our anticipated activities are rearranged in a way we hadn’t expected. Traffic tie-ups are minor things. What if your obstacle is an unexpected illness? Or employment termination? These and so many other “obstacles” can and will come up in our lives. When they do arrive, do you fall apart – or do you have the victory?

In Isaiah 42:16 the Lord tells His people “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”

Even in unexpected ways, along paths we had not anticipated, the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us! He will design and use what we may have thought were obstacles to bring us exactly where and how He wants us!

Are you facing obstacles in your life? Be sure to join us this week as we continue our series on “Victory is Mine in 2009!” with the message “Victory Over Obstacles!” Don’t miss it!

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In the Fire

“Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.” – Daniel 3:30 NIV

The story of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace makes us realize four things:

1. Obeying God doesn't exempt you from trouble.
Don't expect the world to always understand or appreciate you. Look at Christ: "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it" (John 1:4-5 NIV).

2. You're not alone, God is with you in your trouble.
When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fiery furnace he said, "I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods" (Daniel 3:25 NIV). Instead of destroying them, the fire burned the ropes that bound them and set them free. So be encouraged. It may feel like you're ‘bound by circumstances', limited and locked in, but God is with you; He's going to vindicate you and bring you out of this victorious.

3. Your trouble will become your testimony.
Others are watching. What they're trusting in doesn't work, and they're wondering if what you're trusting in does. Your faithfulness to God and His intervention on your behalf will touch their lives in ways your theology never will. Everybody in Babylon knew what the three Hebrew children believed, but they wanted to know, "Does it work when you're in the fire?" It does!

4. On the other side of your trouble, there's great blessing.
"Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon." It's a Scriptural principle: when you are faithful in a hard place, God can trust you in a high place.

as seen in The Word For Today at http://www.ucb.com.au/

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Weapons That Blind

by Jim Liebelt

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 11:3

Recently, I read a report on the Internet written by Lisa Small. Her report is titled, “Blinding Laser Weapons” and documents the development and use of laser weapons that are designed to blind soldiers on the field of battle. Small writes, “Although most countries play down the power of their lasers to blind on the battlefield, China, for one, has made no pretense of this potential use of its 73-pound, battery-powered ZM-87 Portable Laser Disturber. Although the Chinese system is not as portable as several of the American prototypes, its desired effect is the same: to injure or dizzy the eyes of an enemy combatant, in order to cause the enemy to lose combat ability or to suppress the enemy’s observation and sighting operations.”

I guess I’ve never really thought much about the tactics of war, but it makes a lot of sense that a soldier doesn’t have to be destroyed in order to be rendered useless. Using today’s technologies, soldiers can be taken out of the battle by being blinded through the use of laser weapons.

The Scriptures are clear that Satan is our enemy and is in the business of trying to destroy believers. But, perhaps like the tactics of modern warfare, today Satan doesn’t have to get rid of us to take us out of the battle. It may only take a strategy of blinding us. Anything that keeps us from pursuing our relationship with Christ and from serving Him can be used by Satan to blind us and keep us from being effective Christ-followers. When we lose balance in our lives good things like career, school, busyness, friends, hobbies and even ministry can turn into weapons to be used against us and blind us from sincere and pure devotion to Jesus.

Today, spend some time reflecting on the schemes Satan might use in your life to blind you in order to take you out of the battle. Protect yourself from Satan’s weapons. Put on the armor of God and stand firm.

as seen in “Today’s HomeWord,” a daily devotional with Jim Burns. Visit them online at www.homeword.com

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Are You a Godly Employee?

Here are ten great ways to be a Godly employee:

1. Trust in God only
Trust in no one but GOD. People will disappoint you. GOD created you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He is too good to do wrong, and too wise to make a mistake. Let His peace abide in you. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Worship God only
Don't make your career, your company, or your boss a GOD. If you do, you will provoke Him to jealously and will end up fighting Him. In fact, He may hinder you from achieving what you want until you are broken of the idolatry. (Exodus 20:5)

3. Use God's Name Reverently
Don't swear!! Clean words come out of a clean heart! If your co-workers know that you are a Christian, but they hear the Lord's Name used in vain, or cursing and swearing from your mouth, you will give the appearance of being a hypocrite. (Matthew 15:17-19)

4. Work Six Days and Rest on the Seventh
Before you beg for more vacation time, ask yourself a few questions, "Do you honor the Sabbath?" God has already given you 52 days of time off that equates to seven weeks. Are your expectations for work, vacation, and retirement realistic? By resting one day a week, you can avoid burnout. (Genesis 3:17-19)

5. Respect and Obey Your Boss
You should respect and obey your boss, because you don't know what it's like to be in their shoes. Plus, your ultimate boss is the Lord. Serve Him faithfully on the job, and He will bless you. However, if your boss commands you to do something illegal or immoral, you must make a stand and obey God rather than man. (Ephesians 6:5-8)

6. Protect and Respect Human Life
Emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual manipulation, abuses and violence have no place in the workplace... or any place. You do not have the right to use and abuse your boss, co-workers, employees, customers, or suppliers. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

7. Be True to Your Spouse
If you are not getting the kind of attention that you feel you deserve at home, it's common to seek it with someone at work. Honor your wedding vows by avoiding company romances! They are very tempting, very real, and very common. They are also very wrong and very destructive. (Matthew 19:8-9)

8. Do Not Take What Belongs to Others
Stealing at work can take many forms. You can choose to steal materials, money, time, productivity, and joy from your employer and others. Do not remove your integrity by stealing. (2 Corinthians 7:1-2)

9. Do Not Lie About Others
Do not fabricate stories about your boss, co-workers, and spread gossip for the sake of company politics. You are here to be the salt and the light, not the pepper and the darkness!! Truth always rises to the surface, and eventually you will be ashamed and rebuked if you lie. (2 Peter 2:10-13)

10. Be Satisfied With What You Have
Contentment doesn't mean that you cannot pursue God-given goals... but it does mean that you are content with what He has provided you with, day after day. Contentment is a rare quality in today's culture... but it is extremely liberating! Materialism, striving for rank, backstabbing, and discontent lead to emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual bondage. (1 Timothy 6:6-11)

Remember, changing your work environment begins with you!

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Our Weapon

by David Jeremiah

“Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33

It seems like everywhere you look these days, someone is pushing a new philosophy – one that won't offend anyone, exclude anyone, or make any absolute claims about anything. According to some, all paths lead to heaven, and there are no eternal consequences for our actions. Others believe in karma, the idea that what goes around comes around. Unfortunately, these beliefs are not just floating around on the pages of an obscure alternative book or in a few clips of a late-night television show; they are in our face. There are popular sitcoms based on these beliefs and bestselling books making these false claims. They are inescapable but not unconquerable.

As Christians, we have to be careful what we read, listen to, and watch on TV, for Satan's deception through false teaching is ever so subtle and cunning, even able to capture the mind of a believer if he is not grounded in Scripture.

The Bible tells us that in order to stand strong against this deception "you must continue in the things which you have learned... the Holy Scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:14-15). We must keep ourselves grounded in the Word of God, for it is our weapon against the philosophy of the day.

from Dr. David Jeremiah’s “Today’s Turning Point” daily devotional. www.TurningPointOnline.org

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Top Ten Questions
for “Psychics”

by Dr. Neil Chadwick

Believe it or not, each year nearly $2 billion is spent by Americans for psychic answers to their problems. For example organizations such as the Psychic Readers, or Psychic Believers Network charge anywhere from $2 to $5 a minute to supposedly answer people's questions, mostly about the future. To point out the silliness of this practice, here's a "Top Ten List of Questions for Telephone Psychics":

10. Why don't psychic hotlines call you right before you call them?

9. Why do phone psychics have to ask for your credit card number?

8. If you have a friend who works for a psychic network, should you plan a surprise birthday party for him or her?

7. Why is it you never see the headline, "PSYCHIC WINS LOTTERY"?

6. Is it possible for a "psychic fair" to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances?

5. Does a psychic amnesiac know in advance what he is going to forget?

4. Do people with psychic powers get nostalgic about next week?

3. Why don't people understand that psychics are only doing what they're doing because it makes them feel less poor?

2. If psychics can tell the future, why haven't they retired on their stock options?

And the number one question for psychics is...

Would a midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison be called a small medium at large?

By the way, did you hear the one about the frog and his psychic? A frog telephones the psychic hotline and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you." The frog says, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?"

"No," says the psychic. "Next semester in her biology class."

from Dr. Neil Chadwick’s Joyful Ministry Circular. Taken from "Lost," http://www.joyfulministry.com/lost2.htm. Dr. Chadwick pastors Crossroads Church (Assemblies of God) in Hamburg, New Jersey.

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The Last Impression

Struggling to make ends meet on a first-call salary, the pastor was livid when he confronted his wife with the receipt for a $250 dress she had bought. “How could you do this?!”

“I was outside the store looking at the dress in the window, and then I found myself trying it on,” she explained. “It was like Satan was whispering in my ear, ‘You look fabulous in that dress. Buy it!’”

“Well,” the pastor replied, “You know how I deal with that kind of temptation. I say, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’”

“I did,” replied his wife, “but then he said, ‘It looks fabulous from back here, too!’”

We are again expecting God to do miraculous things in our midst this week at WFA! As a church – and each of us as individuals – we are claiming that “Victory is Mine in 2009!” This will be another week of victory as we worship the Lord together, and as we hear from His Word. Come expecting to be touched and blessed this Lord’s Day! See you here at WFA!