The Greater Blessing

On September 8, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 20: 35

“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Do you really believe that? We have heard this expression all our lives and we have each experienced those moments when giving something to someone else really did bless us but, do we actually believe this statement in our hearts?

Sometimes I think the world is divided into two groups, the givers and the takers. It seems sometimes that people do not flow from function to function but rather remain fixed in their group. I have observed folks who are accomplished givers. They think of things the rest of us would never have considered. It isn’t that we wouldn’t do some of the same acts if we thought of them, we just never think of others that sincerely. We live in a society that tells us to “Get all you can for yourself” and “He who dies with the most toys wins.” This is not the Christian ethic so there are warring messages inside of us. To which of these voices will we surrender?

I want to send out encouragement today in the hopes that the result will be each of us looking around for someone to give to. Proverb 19: 17 reads, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” I would venture to say that anytime you give to others, whether or not they be poor, God is well pleased. The way I see it, that provides a number of motivators for giving. First, it pleases God. Second, it is like giving to the Lord. And third, self-interest is advanced. Don’t think the third one is “dirty”. God rewards his kids and it is His pleasure to do so. Besides, isn’t self-interest the reason most of us are not more generous in the first place? 

I honestly believe that this “giving thing” is a real big deal to our Father. We are supposed to be like Him and we all know that He is a giver. Additionally, we are told that kindness is one of the traits we are supposed to exhibit (Gal. 5: 22) and the verse from Proverbs makes me think that kindness leads to charity. Charity is part of a generous heart.

Here is what I would like to suggest. Let us all give something today. Let’s just all unite in a spirit of giving for this one day. Find some way to give something to someone. Now here is a thought. Make it personal. The easiest thing to do is to give to a national charity. Now, there is nothing wrong with that but it doesn’t require much of us personally. It would be really great if we could all do something for someone where we can look them in the eye or make some kind of personal contact. We should endeavor to give out of our hearts not our pocketbooks. The two can go together but the former cannot be overlooked. One other caveat . . . I learned this from Joyce Meyer; don’t just give away something that you don’t want or are done with anyway. Give something meaningful. It does not have to be expensive but it should come from that good place inside of you. Maybe it is nothing more than buying someone in the break room a drink. It doesn’t have to be big but you should extend yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit.  

Open your eyes and look at the world a little differently. Look for ways to bless folks. I am hoping that you will have a lot of fun. I am also hoping that you will write me this evening telling me how you were blessed.

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Follow the Blessing

On August 27, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 28: 2

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the Lord your God.

When you read the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy you see that there is much blessing promised in that chapter. I quite like the idea of the blessing chasing us down in the street and overtaking us. And as much as we might relish that thought and even believe God, we still might question how it is going to happen. The answer, fortunately, is in the last phrase of the sentence. The blessing is in our obedience. That may sound more spiritual than it needs to. It is more basic than many of us appreciate. God will bless you even in tough economic times by giving you ideas and plans for gaining wealth. Maybe he is telling you to save 10% of your income. Maybe he is telling you to give money to a charity. We have to become sensitive to the urges God is using to prompt us and then we must obey. Maybe we have thought to give money to a minister but haven’t done it. Maybe we had a generous thought towards someone else and didn’t follow through. God isn’t trying to get something from you; he is trying to get something to you. He will prosper you in these times but you must obey. In the midst of a bad economy, God wants to prosper you abundantly. Listen to what he is telling you. Pray about it and by all means follow through.

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The Blessing of the Lord

On August 25, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 10: 22

It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.

Upon what are you dependent for you prosperity? I hope it is not this economy because the present economy is sure to let you down. We are blessed in the Lord with every blessing under the sun. Part of that blessing is the wealth of God. Having a hard time believing that? Look at Kind David or his son Solomon. Solomon was the richest man ever to live. He was so wealthy that he didn’t even bother to count silver. It just wasn’t worth his time or effort.

Modern day Christians have a hard time receiving all that God has to give because we have bought into the lie that it is wrong for Christians to be wealthy. That doesn’t even make sense and it certainly isn’t biblical. You are the kid of the Almighty, you should be abundantly blessed. Deuteronomy 28: 6 says that we are blessed coming in and going out. 

Do not worry about this present economy. It only means that the world system is failing. Your prosperity and the provision for your needs are not in the hands of the world but rather in the hands of the Almighty. Lift up your eyes and your voice to him. Tell him that you are putting all of your trust in him for your financial well being and you will be able to look back on these times and say that in the worst economic climate since the great depression you prospered.

   

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Everything You Want

On July 17, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 1: 3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 

We do not exist only in this physical realm. We actually are living in the spiritual realm at the same time and that is why this verse is so important. Everything that has ever come into being had to first exist in the spiritual sphere. Think about that for a moment. Everything that you have ever seen, every single thing in this world first existed in the world of the Spirit. So, every time you pray for anything the answer already exists in the spiritual sphere and then it manifests in the physical. In today’s verse we learn that God, our Father, has already blessed us with everything in the spiritual realm. Now I know that the verse says that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and you might think that means that physical blessings are not included but when you appreciate that everything begins in the spiritual realm and that to God everything is spiritual then you conceive that all blessings of God are, in fact, spiritual blessings. So when we see the fullness of this verse we perceive that God has already blessed us with everything. And that makes sense because we know that God has rested from His work. He has already provided everything we could ever want or need. There is no lack of anything in heaven. God has already created utopia. Once we grasp with our hearts that God has already made full provision for us, that it is all in the spiritual warehouse awaiting our requisitions then we are able to receive everything in full. 

This can radically change your prayer life if you can shift your perspective to embrace the idea that the Lord, our God, has already provided every single thing we could ever think or ask. The point of Paul writing this passage is to let us know that God has already blessed us and provided for us. The verse would have so little meaning if it was only about having blessings in heaven. It is here that we need the blessings of God. When we get to heaven there is no need. They are walking on streets of gold up there. Paul is writing to say that God has already provided for the people who are living on the earth now. He is trying to convey the enormity of the blessing and he seems to run out of words. Paul also lets us know that our blessing is in Christ which expresses the extent of the blessing as well as our access. Paul is encouraging us to bless God because he had a revelation of the fullness of the blessing which has come on us because of Jesus. We must move our chairs to Paul’s place so that we can see from his perspective. When we look from his perspective instead of from ours the horizon broadens. We can read the same words we have read many times before but now we see much more and Paul’s perspective always leads us into closer unity with God.

Celebrate today the reality that God has already blessed you with the fullness of who He is. Pray to receive all that He has provided for you and bless the Lord.

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The Blessing Plan

On July 9, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 1: 1-3

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

We all want to be blessed of God and that is what God wants also. That is why he gave us this passage, so that we would know how to be blessed. The first verse tells us three things to avoid if we want to be blessed. The second verse tells us one affirmative thing to do and the third verse illustrates the effect of the blessing on us which results from obedience to the first two verses.

In a nutshell, this passage tells us to turn away from the ways of the world and turn towards God. In plain language it means we should spend more time pursuing God than pursuing the world. Turn off the TV every now and again and spend that hour reading your Bible. Don’t take your advice (counsel) from the world, look to the word and mature Christians. Don’t do the things the people of the world do. That is what is meant by do not “stand in the path of sinners.” God is telling us not to be on their path. Choose a different path. That does not just mean don’t sin. That is a given. But this passage is not talking about salvation it is teaching living in the blessing. So God is telling you not to do the things the world does because it is not leading to blessing. The blessing is in God and in his word. Spend some time reading the word or reading a book by a Christian. Listen to a TV preacher right in the middle of the week. Delight yourself in His word and you will be that tree that is planted near the stream. It is taller and stronger than other trees. It bears more fruit and its fruit is sweeter. Moreover, this tree does not lose its health and vitality. All it takes is to start spending more time actively pursuing Jesus and less time in the world.

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Out Blessed

On June 20, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Galatians 6: 7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

We have all heard the expression “Give and take”. It is particularly used to describe relationships. Well, I would like to coin a new phrase today. I want you to enjoy “give and give” relationships because this, I believe, is the Christian model.

I recently went on a camping trip where I got to renew old acquaintances and meet some great new people and it is from these folks that this idea has arisen in my consciousness. Let me begin with a little story which I believe will demonstrate why this idea of give-give has become prominent in my thinking. 

The first day there I met this lovely couple, Sally and Chad. There was an instant connection with them as we all paddled on the lake and talked about the Lord. That evening, everyone got together at our campsite. Well, I had just brewed a cup of tea when Sally and Chad arrived. We got to talking about tea and I told them about how I had discovered this brew (Good Earth Original Tea) in La Jolla, CA back when I lived in San Diego. We discovered that we shared a common interest. I offered them to smell or taste my tea and they both thought it smelled good so I made each of them a cup of tea. While we sat under the evening sky enjoying our Good Earth Tea (how appropriate) we discovered another tea connection. It turns out that they drink P.G. Tips which is an English blend. I was amazed to hear that someone else knew about P.G. Tips tea much less drinks it and I told them about my dear friend who is part British and about the Christmas she gave me a box of P.G. Tips. They could really appreciate how special that tea was for me and we really enjoyed talking and sharing.

Well, the evening went on, the weekend went on. It was a delight getting to know them a bit and we certainly enjoyed each other’s company. On Tuesday we all had to pack up and get out of the campsite before 11:00 but before Sally and Chad left Sally came down to say, “Good-bye.” That alone was a very nice gesture but before she left she handed me a Ziploc bag. You guessed it! It was full of P.G. Tips tea bags, thanks to which I am enjoying a beautiful cup of tea right now. I was very blessed by their kind thoughtfulness.  

Now, a bag of tea may not seem like a big deal but, honestly, it was the heart gesture involved. They sought to bless me, and they succeeded. It was the spirit behind the gift that was so loud and so precious. May I say it? It was love. They were moved by that spirit of love within them that seeks to honor and bless others and this couple just knows how to cooperate with the kind intentions of God’s soul. They have merged with the Spirit of love so they know how to be a blessing. Not only that but they actually strive and attempt to bless others. And I know other people who have accepted this mantle from Jesus and I must say they are an inspiration to me.

So now what do we think of this new relationship with Sally and Chad? Upon what is it based? I brewed them one little cup of tea each and the next thing I know they have out given me, out blessed me. It is almost like poker – they saw my two tea bags and raised me a whole bag. But wait, it ain’t over yet because this relationship is based on mutual blessing. It is a give – give relationship. So what does that mean? This weekend I am going to Trader Joe’s hoping to find Good Earth brand tea and when I do I am going to buy a whole box and send it to them. You see, it was completely my pleasure in the first place to share my tea with them. It gave me joy to do that for them. And they certainly did not need to reciprocate in any way nor was their gift to me a payback, because they didn’t owe me anything. They just sought to bless me and they did. Well, now I am hoping to bless them by surprising them with some Good Earth Tea. So, all you folks who know Sally and Chad keep this under your hat.

I want for you to have relationships that are based on mutual blessing. When we give ourselves to the life of Christ within us this sort of generosity and kindness ought to come bubbling up out of us and we ought to connect with others on this level. When you find people who are walking in the love of Christ I hope that you will hang on to them and let your relationships form around that kind, gentle and generous spirit who is Jesus, our Lord and who lives within each of us. When Jesus is the focal point, then abundance, prosperity and kindness will always be the fruits. Develop Give – Give relationships. Let each of you be selfless and honor one another in love. It is a great way to live and part of that abundant life that Jesus intended for you. Demand and expect for all of your Christian relationships to show this kind of grace and maturity which comes from a life surrendered to Christ. And, in the name of Jesus, Be Blessed even as you are a blessing!

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It is Well

On June 17, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ecclesiastes 8: 12

I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.

We remember, of course, that when we see the word “fear” in the Old Testament related to our relationship with God, we must immediately translate that word in our heads to revere. I would go a step further, however, in this new dispensation we are under so for myself I read this passage as “It will be well for those who love God, who love Him openly.”  

What does it mean to love God openly? I can think of times in my life when my love of God was a bit of a secret. It wasn’t that I intended it to be a secret though. I think that the relationship I had with Him just wasn’t big enough. Now I don’t believe that I could keep it veiled because God has become the predominant force of my life.

Perhaps we are not always as proud of our Christian heritage as we could be. For myself, I wasn’t living in the victory of Christ to any great measure so my story was undeveloped but as with anything that positively impacts your life once your life with Christ becomes your existence then you are enthusiastic to share what is working for you with others. Then you love Him and share Him openly. People see Him on you. He becomes the gleam in your eye, the light of your countenance.

Every day we have an encounter with the Word of God. Whether we hear this question aloud or not we are everyday faced with whether or not we will choose to believe the Word. Sometimes believing what God has said requires a leap of faith. Okay, so jump! Take a chance that God is not a man that He should lie. Jump off of the end of the pier believing that He is faithful and will catch you. What if you should invest your faith, your mustard seed of believing power in the statement that if you love Him, it will be well with you? Is it a bit scary to make that leap?

There is a beautiful life out there awaiting each one of us. It is full of the riches of God’s glory and favor in Christ Jesus. God gives us all the secrets, all the answers to the test questions. He wants to give us success and beauty and riches. It is His deep desire to promote and exalt us. We need only that little mustard seed of belief. God can do so much with one life, even yours. Open your heart anew. Lift your eyes to the horizon. There is so much out there for you. Even if you think you are in the winter of your life you can get a revelation of the seeds and bulbs God has in the ground for you just waiting to bloom and grow. It is eternal spring for those who love God and who are called to Him. Let your heart grow into a new vision of what God has for you. If you can believe this little passage from the Bible, then you can experience miracles and wonders beyond your current belief level. Open your heart, receive of the Lord and live in the fullness of His blessings. Amen.

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