Dams

On May 12, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 3: 9 – 10

Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce, so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Sometimes humans are the dullest form of intelligent life. This verse couldn’t get much simpler, and yet there is tremendous resistance within the church to giving. God has told us how to have abundance. He wants us to experience overflow. Overflow is when you have more than enough. That is a typical God plan. He never stops at just filling a cup. He runs it over. So, if we are not experiencing overflow, what is damming the flow?

It turns out that we use our intelligence quotient to construct dams in our lives. We are blocking our own flow, in other words. The principle pointed to in today’s proverb is no different than what Jesus taught. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. God is a multiplier. He multiplies what we give Him and gives it back to us. In the old days they taught us that a hundred times zero was not a good yield. A hundred times one is better but if I understand God and His ways, I can use the kingdom principles He put in place thousands of years ago and receive whatever yield I need or want.

So how do we honor the Lord from our wealth and the first of our produce? One of the obstacles some people face is that they are happy to bless the Lord but they don’t like giving to person in order to accomplish that goal. Well, as I have said before, if you cannot trust your minister with your money then you probably want to look for another church home. Secondly, I find it hard to believe we can’t find one minister in all the world who we believe will use God’s money in the way He directs them. Third, pray over your giving. God will honor and multiply your gift without regard to what the person you give it to does with the money. Your part is just to give. When you let go of it, then the rest is up to God.

So, what I want to say to you is, “Don’t worry about it.” I want you in overflow. I want no financial stress on you whatsoever. Therefore, I encourage you to pour out your gifts to the Lord, even if they go through a person, so that God can overflow your cup. Tear down the dams in your life and let God bless you.

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Above and Beyond

On February 7, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 3: 20 – 21

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen.

Yesterday we looked at 1st Corinthians 2: 9 which said that the mind of man has not even conceived of all the good things God has prepared for those who love Him. Many of you undoubtedly were put in remembrance of this verse from Ephesians.

This is a favorite verse for contemplating the plans that Yahweh has for us. Like Isaiah when he wrote about God’s goodness, Paul cannot seem to find words enough to express the great expanse of God’s favor and provision for us. Again, we see from this verse that no matter how big we may think, despite our most grandiose wishes, dreams and prayers, we have never thought big enough to comprehend all that God wants to do for us.

It is not enough that God does abundantly. His abundance exceeds any normal definition of abundance. Still, not enough. He wants to do for you that which is beyond anything you have ever thought or asked. Now then, how big have you dared to dream? God has a challenge for you. He effectively says to you, “No matter how much you expand your dreams, hopes and desire, I have something even greater for you!” I like to challenge God right back. “Okay Dad, I can dream this big, I say to Him.” Even then you think, “Wait, there is obviously something larger because no matter how big I think, He is thinking bigger.” That causes me to ponder my own boundaries. I purposefully push my boundaries out further; make my dreams bigger. It is quite an exercise.

It is interesting to note that the power that God is going to use to exceed my greatest expectations is already resident within me. Ponder that one for a little while. That power within you is alive and poised. Release your imagination and your belief in God’s words. Let’s see how far we can go.

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No More Famine

On January 20, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ezekiel 34: 29

And I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore.

Do you want to understand how God and His kingdom work? This verse shows us when we stop to pause and consider. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a seed (Mark 4: 30 – 31). When God restored the nation of Israel He didn’t promise to feed them. He prepared for them good ground where they could sow seed and it would produce such a crop that they should never hunger again nor be at the mercy of other nations.

God is always working through seed. That is why He tries to get us to sow our money seed. It is not that He needs the money. For goodness sake, His driveway is paved with gold. God does not need our money. He is, instead, trying to get a harvest for us. He has provided good ground so that we will never hunger. We should never be at the mercy of the Philistines either because our seed ought to produce a crop.

This is God’s remedy for us, to provide the means by which we will always have everything we need. He prepares the ground and then protects our seed. Our two obligations are sowing and harvesting. This is how the kingdom of God operates. God does not intend that His kids should experience famine. This is the method through which God intends to meet your need. Talk with Him about what seed you should plant and where that fertile soil is which He has prepared for you. Then do not be bashful. Sow generously and harvest bountifully.

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Savings Plan

On August 12, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Genesis 41: 29 – 30

“Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will ravage the land.”

Do you have a savings plan? What is your philosophy on saving? I have always thought tithe 10% and save 10% but here is an interesting perspective from scripture.

After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as above, he went on to advise Pharaoh. Joseph told Pharaoh to “look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance” (v. 33 – 34).

As you know, Pharaoh appointed Joseph to be this overseer and there was no one in all of Egypt with more power, position and authority than Joseph save Pharaoh himself. Joseph collected 1/5 of all that was produced during the abundant years and stored it for the coming famine years. When the famine came it was as severe as the dreams predicted. If not for Joseph’s savings plan, the years of famine would have completely swallowed up the years of abundance.

Isaac, in the time of famine, sowed and reaped a hundredfold in that same year (Genesis 26:12). This is one of the reasons I believe in tithing, even in the lean times. We know from other scripture that the tithe is 10 percent. So if you take this and combine it with the wisdom God gave Joseph you come out with: tithe ten percent and save twenty percent.  that is pretty aggressive, specially by today’s standards.  My advice with tithing and saving is, do it.  If you really can’t do these percentages now, just begin somewhere.  You know, you can pray to your Father and He may tell you to save ten percent.  That is between you two but I firmly believe He would have you on a savings plan and only an idiot would say that God does not expect you to tithe.

Our confidence must still be placed firmly in the Lord, not in our savings account. We need to follow His wisdom for our lives but He is not a God of foolishness. He is the God of the harvest. There is no harvest, however, without first the season of sowing. Further, every good farmer knows that you don’t eat all of your harvest. You must set aside part of the crop as seed for next year’s crop.

Let this example of an anointed man of God inspire you but also go to God for specific instruction for your life. Then develop your savings and giving plan according to God’s specifications. Allow Him to lead you in abundance so that you can avoid times of famine.

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No Need

On March 30, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Philippians 4: 19                   Index Card 12

And my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

This is a familiar passage of scripture and you likely hear it quoted frequently. It was written by the Apostle Paul. There is a caveat to this scripture before you begin using it freely though. Paul wrote it to the Philippians saying to them that God would meet their needs because they had met Paul’s needs. So, this powerful promise is specifically for those who are meeting the needs of the clergy. Don’t be discouraged. Be a sower. Avail yourself of the might of this passage. And, if you already are a consistent giver to the church, then celebrate. Paul speaks blessing over you.

There is more and I wish for you to receive the fullness of Paul’s message. Let’s read Philippians 4: 18, “But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied.” I really see two sides of this coin. First, Paul declares that his needs are abundantly met. So, the church has clearly done a good job of looking after him. Secondly, I read this passage with the view that when I look to the needs of the church and specifically its ministers then God meets my need so that I receive everything in full, abundantly, and fully supplied.

This is an insight into God’s economics. When you sow, you reap. When you take care of the needs of the church, God takes care of your needs. Paul wanted the church he established in Philippi to be filled. He was thrilled to declare blessing over them. Every minister wants her flock to overflow with blessing and Paul was overjoyed knowing that through the generosity of the Philippians not only were his needs taken care of but the blessing was going to flow back and flood them. Yahoo!

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Abundant Grace

On January 12, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Timothy 1: 14                   (Amplified Version)

And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord actually flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are to be realized in Christ Jesus.

This passage was written by the Apostle Paul. He was recounting how he blasphemed the Lord and persecuted the church. Yet nonetheless, Christ, through grace, showed him mercy. How is it that the Lord was willing and able to show such kindness to this man even while he was torturing and murdering Christians? The mercy of the Lord and of our Father is beyond comprehension. Jesus poured out on Paul superabundant favor and blessing. It certainly was not because Paul earned it. It comes just from the Father’s deep love.

Paul, unlike so many modern Christians, was able to receive God’s abundance. Why? I believe the answer is two-fold. I think that one of the reasons Paul was able to receive God’s abundant, beyond measure grace is that he, first, completely knew that he was unworthy and undeserving. This freed him to just receive by grace. He did not try to earn God’s favor because he knew that he was way beyond that.

Secondly, I think that Paul was so humble and grateful that his heart was wide open before the Lord of grace. I deeply desire for the church to draw close to God just as Paul was intimate with him. We see the abundant love and grace that the Father has for us. Now if we can sincerely open ourselves to him the way Paul did, we might also walk in the kind of grace that was afforded Paul. Let us not wait for God to knock us off our donkeys though. Let us all, with blind faith, reach out to the source of all and invite him into the deepest part of our beings.

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Overcoming Peace

On December 11, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 16: 33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

Jesus says to us, in this passage, that we can have peace “in” Him. He has already overcome the world and all of its tribulation and trouble. Being “in Him” means we do not have to participate in that tribulation. Yes, there are always bumps in the road but because He has already overcome, we can keep our peace. We do not have to get all upset and worried. Really we should not. He came so that we might have life in abundance (John 10:10). As we roll all of our care onto him; putting our full trust in Him and in His victory, then we do not have to suffer the emotional turmoil that the world is tortured with. Jesus is with us every day and we are everyday learning to draw closer and closer to Him and into His peace. He is, after all, the Prince of Peace.

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