Restoration

On July 19, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 31: 4

In addition, he required the people in Jerusalem to bring the prescribed portion of their income to the priests and Levites, so they could devote themselves fully to the law of the Lord.

This is the continuing story about Hezekiah and his efforts to restore the temple and the people of God. It puts me in remembrance of a ministers’ conference I attended a couple of years ago. I was shocked at the number of ministers who either worked a second job or were building a multi-level marketing company as a means of making ends meet. It is a very sad commentary that our pastors, the people who look after us are in such need. It seems to me that ministers ought to be some of the highest paid people in society.

Part of Hezekiah’s restoration of the people was the restoration of the tithe. It worked too. When he got the people to do what God commanded them to do, they prospered as did the priests and the temple. Verse 10 reads, “Since the people began bringing their gifts to the Lord’s Temple, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare for the Lord has blessed his people.” As they began giving their ten percent tithe to the church, the Lord prospered them and thus the ten percent grew. It became ten percent of much rather than ten percent of a little, so everyone prospered and had enough to share.

I believe this would work in our society today. Hezekiah was able to rally the people around a cause. What would inspire that kind of devotion today? Statistics show that most people in the church do not tithe. People take and take from the church and from pastors and give little to nothing in return. It surprises me that they expect ministers to give their time and expertise for nothing, but it is reality. Let’s not be that people. Let’s find a rallying point and be faithful to the Lord and to those whom He has called into service. Then our pastors can devote themselves fully to the Word, as God has called them to do. It is the way to prosperity for us all. It is God’s success path and I know He will be very proud of us too.

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Project Planning

On July 18, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 31: 21             NLT

Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.

I have written on this verse before and no wonder, it is a very poignant verse. Notably there is instruction to seek God “wholeheartedly” and that is the point I have spoken to before. As I read this passage recently, God spoke it to me differently, as He is want to do.

We may seek God generally, but we may also seek Him in a specific fashion. By this I mean, we may seek Him just to know Him or just to spend time with Him, but we may also seek Him on a particular subject or issue. The way the Lord spoke this to me was that I, as well as all Christians, should seek Him on every new project. When we consider taking on a new project, the first thing we should do is to seek the Lord. Obviously, the first question is, “Father, should I take on this project?” If He responds affirmatively, then we can begin to project plan with Him. Frankly, we are a bit idiotic if we do not do this, but it may not be our habit as I doubt many of us were trained in this practice.

For all us Type A personalities, sometimes we get so caught up in the new idea that we don’t pause even to take a breath. We just throw our full strength into the new project. We are well advised, though, to pause for that deep breath and consider the ways of the Lord.

When you read today’s verse in other translations, you pick up on this idea. In all things Hezekiah sought the Lord with his whole heart and because he did, he succeeded. That also means that we shouldn’t make our seeking half-hearted. It isn’t just step one and so we rush through it to get to steps two, three and four. No, instead, if we will take the time to truly seek the Lord, He may well obliterate five or six steps, or even more so that we arrive at our goal more rapidly than if we just throw the force of our energy at it.

Stop today and consider all of the pies of your life. Are there any of those areas in which you have not sought the Lord’s counsel? It is not too late. Stop the merry-go-round and spend some quiet time with your Father. He will lead you in the way you should go. He will give you favor with the people who are instrumental in your project’s success and He will move the needed resources into place for you. Seek the Lord and succeed.

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Relaxation

On July 17, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 28: 7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.

This is a great model for showing us how to live with God’s active presence in our lives. We put our full trust in Him which allows Him to work in our lives. The result is that we are helped. The next thing that happens is that in our joy and gratefulness, we praise Him. Now that is how the Christian life is supposed to work.

Don’t spend all of your time crying and whining about your problems. Instead, take them to the Lord in full trust. Trust Him to be your strength and shield in every situation. Give the problem to Him fully. Then relax. When you do that, you give God room to work in your life. You have to let go in order for Him to be able to take over. But wait! Your job is not over when the solution comes. Your part of problem solving is praising the Lord who works on your behalf. Just spend your days praising and thanking him instead of in travail over all the challenges that meet you. Tell Yahweh that you know those problems to be His concern rather than yours and that you are going to praise Him all the days of your life. Trust Him. You are going to be amazed how much easier life can be.

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Ready to Share

On July 16, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Timothy 6: 18

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.

You can always recognize people who are full of the love of God. They are always generous. You have to be because God is generous. So, when you are full of Him, generosity naturally flows from you. Why then are some people, even believers, tight fisted? It is their lack of faith, lack of trust or their belief that their own hands have provided for them. Once you truly begin to trust God, you begin to understand that He will always provide for you. You are then able to release the death grip you have on money and things because you know that God is your source, not you.

As long as you see yourself as your source you will have a tendency to be stingy with your hard-earned money. Once you realize that you cannot do anything without God’s grace and that it is He who has blessed you, you will begin let God’s provision flow through you. You can let God use you as a conduit. You will stop being a dead end in God’s flow and instead be a multiplier. As you start really giving, you will see that your supply is not hindered at all and you will become an even greater giver. When we know God and trust Him, we can let go of every concern. Then we can let go of our resources. We become like God himself just looking for someone to bless. What a wonderful way to live life.

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Joyful Hearing

On July 15, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 60: 8       CJB

God in his holiness spoke, and I took joy [in his promise].

In case you want to find this verse in a different translation, it will be verse six in most other translations.

David was dismayed and crying out to the Lord. Though disgruntled and wracked with worry, he knew the Lord’s nature and that God wanted to rescue His people. In the midst of his travail the voice of God rescued him with the promise of deliverance.

One of the things which distinguishes some of us from David and the great prophets is the ability to hear God speak. Some people say that God no longer speaks as their reason for not hearing Him. Frankly, that is ludicrous. Does the Father love us any less than He has loved generations of His kids? To suggest so would be an insult to He who is love. Is His hand no longer powerful enough to save? Of course not. In His voice is the promise of rescue, the assurance of salvation in every situation.

Here is the question which may plague some of us. Were there, are there, just special people to whom God chose to speak, to bless, to deliver? Was David born special? Isaiah? What about the Apostle John who was given the most incredible revelation? This is the same John who Jesus rebuked when he and his brother wanted to rain down fire from heaven to consume a whole town. You wouldn’t think that the action of one of the divinely touched ones. Instead it seems to be evidence that John had to learn how to hear God. He had to learn how to live in the anointing. And if he could learn, then doesn’t it stand to reason that each of us has the same opportunity?

I think part of what made David special was that he took the time listen to God. Before that, though, he took the time to learn to hear God. I imagine he learned that lesson and practiced while tending those sheep for his father. What may appear to be an innate skill is, I believe, actually a learned one. That is good news for us all. We too, if we will make it a goal and take the time, can learn to hear God’s voice. I know I hear much better now than I did at one time. That is at least anecdotal evidence that hearing God’s voice is not a gift reserved for the few but rather a skill able to be developed by anyone.

When David was down and worried the voice of God lifted his despair. I am sure God speaking in our ears will do the same for us. We have only to spend time with God getting used to hearing Him.

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Haters Hate

On July 12, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 15: 18 – 19

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

It can be pretty confusing and disheartening when someone dislikes you or treats you badly when you have never done anything to them. And here is the bad news. The more godly you become, the more they will hate you. But take heart. They hated Jesus first and more so. You are in very good company.

I have great compassion for you because I know how it feels but the one who is greater has even more understanding and compassion. He has been through an even worse experience, so he is completely able to comfort you. The world hates you because you love him. In fact, we might ask ourselves what is wrong if the world does not hate us.

This is very difficult to handle at first. It is not fair. But once you understand what is going on, you begin to find it more tolerable and you actually begin to have compassion for those who persecute you. You will increasingly see them through your Father’s eyes and you will see that it is just their own brokenness that is causing them to malign you. Soon, very soon even, you will find their lies and criticisms do not touch you. You know the one who is the truth and that really is enough to comfort you. Take heart my beloved. You are in the best possible company and the master is well able to take care of you.

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Peace

On July 11, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Micah 5: 2, 5

But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. And this one will be our peace.

Here is a foretelling of the coming of Jesus. He was expected and the Jews were looking for Him. It is just like Father God to use some small town, one of insignificance to bring His son into the earth. From the small and weak He is able to do great and mighty things.

When God sent Jesus into the earth, He also sent our peace. In other words, He sent peace to us and for us. Just before Jesus left the earth, he told us that he was going to leave his peace here with us (John 14: 27). The Father and Jesus are always in unity. God promised to send Jesus into the world to be our peace and Jesus promised to leave his peace with us. It is a godly anointed peace which is with you at all times. He left it here for you so that you could live free of the turmoil of the world. Though you may encounter troubles you don’t have to be tortured by them because you have the peace of God.

This peace must be very important since both the Father and the son have worked to get it to you. Treasure it and don’t let go of it lightly. And don’t let anyone steal it from you; not your brother-in-law, not that jerk at work. Preserve peace; especially your own. It is a gift from God.

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