Sand and Stars

On February 25, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 4: 17                Tree of Life Version

He is our father in the sight of God in whom he trusted, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist.

This verse speaks about Abraham and says that he is our Father in faith. He is our faith example. We learn from him as he learned from God. God had to teach Abraham how to stand in faith. It wasn’t an intrinsic trait, but God was the example to Abraham teaching him that he must speak the end from the beginning. He had to learn to emulate God in calling those things which aren’t as though they were, speaking the end result instead of the appearance of things.

This is actually a prayer model. God made Abraham a huge promise, but it took years to bring it to pass. So, God had to teach Abraham how to stand in faith. Part of that involved teaching him how to pray and how to speak. Let’s see how this unfolds.

First, you get a promise from God. That is one of the important uses of the Bible. It could also be a dream God has given you which is anchored in the Word. Then, get a picture of it. God took Abram out to look at the stars and told him his children would number as many as the stars. He also gave him the imagery of sand telling him his children would be as numerous as the grains of sand. Every time Abram thought about sand or looked at a night sky he was reminded of God’s promise. The most important bit was yet to come though.

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. Abram means, “exalted father.” Abraham means, “father of many or father of a multitude.” Abram didn’t even have one child at the time, and both he and Sarah, his wife were well advanced in years. Besides that, she was barren. How was he to be the father of a multitude?

What Abraham did have, though, was a promise from God and to Abraham, that made all the difference. So, he had the promise, two images (the sand and the stars) which represented the fulfillment of that promise and now, he had a new name. Every time anyone called him, he heard, “Father of many.”

However, there was one thing remaining. His confession. First, we pray to receive God’s vision for us. That’s where the real asking takes place. Once we have the promise then we don’t have to ask and wonder anymore. We certainly don’t need to beg and plead. He has already said, “Yes.” Abraham had to learn to call those things into existence which didn’t exist. This is called standing in faith and it is the final component of prayer. This is where most of us miss our answer.

The message I wish to convey today is that this is part of the prayer model. We don’t need to keep on asking the father to do something for us once he has said okay. That part is done and it is time for us to stand like Father Abraham. This last part is crucial and as I said, I believe this is where most of us are losing our prayer answers. After you have an answer from God, it still takes faith to bring it in. He has already said, “Yes,” to healing you but what are you saying? He has already said, “Yes,” to prosperity but what are you saying? If you are still begging God to do something for you, you might be missing your answer to prayer. Pray to get His answer but then stand on that promise like Abraham did. Believe with all your might that what God has said is truth and is yours. Become stubborn and resolute. By his stripes, were you healed? Did God promise to prosper the work of your hand, or not?

This is the hard stuff but right here is where we can make a difference in our lives and the lives of our families. Find your promise. If you are having trouble finding a scripture to stand on, contact me. I will help you. Then, you’ve got to speak the end result. Forget the circumstances. Speak the result. Quit begging God and start thanking Him. Praise Him that He who promised is well able, and willing, to deliver. Call those things which are not until they are.

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Trust Dividend

On December 4, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 5: 2       NLV

By putting our trust in God, He has given us His loving-favor and has received us. We are happy for the hope we have of sharing the shining-greatness of God.

What good news this is. When we invest our trust in God, we open our own path to happiness and His favor. I want you to see this verse from the Passion Translation as well, “Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God. What incredible joy bursts forth within us as we keep on celebrating our hope of experiencing God’s glory!” I like this guarantee, don’t you, a guarantee of His marvelous kindness and a perfect relationship with God. Really, what more could we want or need?

Our faith gives us access to a perfect relationship with God. Our trust in Him yields His favor and we have the promise that He receives us. Knowing that we are received and accepted by God is a huge thing. Many people live their whole lives awaiting their parents’ approval. We have our Father’s acceptance. His acceptance is that He receives us to Himself. We are part of Him, part of His family and we have the joy of sharing the glory of God with Him. I love how this verse states it, “sharing the shining-greatness of God.” Wow!

We aren’t orphaned children who have been let into the feast. We are His own pride and joy. He welcomes us in and makes us part of the celebration. The key to sharing the bright, shining glory of God’s presence is trust. We invest our trust in Him and He receives us, pouring out His “loving-favor” upon us. The favor of God is a great thing but to appreciate that His favor is colored by love makes it even more grand. His light and love are our inheritance. Actually, they are the reward, or the dividend on our investment of trust. I used to talk about “radical trust.” Maybe it is time to think on that again. What does radical trust look like? Pour out your heart to God. Bathe in His bright, shining glory and enjoy being His own beloved.

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Remember

On November 25, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 78: 20 – 11        TPT

They didn’t really believe the promises of God; they refused to trust him and move forward in faith. They forgot his wonderful works and the miracles of the past.

Asaph delivers a history of the Israelites in the psalm. He recounts their exodus with its miracles and challenges in making the point that it is important to remember our history and, significantly, to teach it to the next generation. Failing to keep God’s blessings fresh in our minds and hearts leads to our own failure.

Each generation goes through this challenge. When we experience and remember the miracles of God, especially in our own lives, our faith soars. When they become distant or we forget, then our ability to stand on God’s promises falters. Today’s verse could speak equally convincingly about any generation. As a group, and even individually, we go through times of strong faith, and times of doubt or at least marginalized faith. It is easy to forget all the times God has come through for His children or even shown His kindness in our own lives. When that happens, we become weak. In those times, we must stir up our own minds and spirits to recall the great things He has done for us. As we remember it is helpful to try to recall how those experiences made us feel. When you pair the memory with the emotion, it is as if the experience is new and happening in this moment. It is in those moments when you again believe the promises of God and trust Him. Then you can move forward in faith.

Most Christians don’t seem to actually believe the promises of God but that is something that can change overnight. We need to know what He has promised and then we stir ourselves towards belief. If God ever made a promise, it is a promise to us today because He hasn’t changed. Take His promises into your heart and own them for yourself. Make yourself a believer by meditating on those promises. Let Him be a big God in your life like He was in days of old. You are His chosen people, His inheritance. Let us remember and move forward in faith.

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True Humility

On October 14, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 72: 8 – 9

May he also rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

You will undoubtedly sense a change of tone in this psalm. David didn’t write this one. It is written by his son, Solomon. The kingdom falls apart after Solomon, the kingdom that God gave to David for eternity. You begin to see the unravelling even here. Compare this psalm with the one’s David wrote.  Here, we find Solomon praying for himself, not about rescue from enemies, but increasing his holdings.

This is another example where one must really read the entire psalm to get the flavor. Solomon was concerned about his ability to rule the kingdom. At first glance his importuning of God for the wisdom to rule the country appears as humility, and at one level I believe it to be so. At a higher level, though, Solomon mirrors our prayers and feelings. Compared with the prayers and the songs of David, we see that humility is often a cloak for the real underlying demon – pride.

David didn’t have confidence in his ability to rule the kingdom either. He did, however, have confidence in the Father, and David trusted his friend and strong right hand to be with him and to rule through him. It may be a subtle shift, but this micron of perspective shift makes all the difference in the world. Solomon was overwhelmed with by the responsibility of leading the kingdom. The reason, though, is because his eyes were fixed on himself.

We can all become overwhelmed by what God has called us to do, but if we do it is because we are looking at our own abilities. We become focused on ourselves rather than on the Father. David told Goliath that he came in the name of the Lord and that the God of Israel would deliver the Philistine giant into his hands. David was looking for God to do something. If he had considered himself responsible for the victory, we would not have this great story to admire. He either would have been defeated, or, more likely, he would never have faced the giant. We know we cannot succeed in our own strength so we think God will anoint us with his strength and then we will prevail. In our spirits we know this is not quite right. The victory is not ours, but the Lord’s.

So, David spent less time in prayers like these and much more time praising the Lord and declaring His greatness. He focused his attention on the righteous kindness of God and His delivering power. He glorified God in song and in deed. Go back and look at the construction of David’s prayers. There is a real secret here. Our words show where we are in our walk with God. Solomon’s show that his eyes were on himself. He lacked confidence because he was looking at himself rather than at God. He prayed for God to make him a great king with much land. Perhaps, those breaths would have been better spent praising the real King.

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All My Life

On October 7, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 71: 5 – 7, 14

For you are my only hope, Lord! I’ve hung on to you, trusting in you all my life. It was you who supported me from the day I was born, loving me, helping me through my life’s journey. You’ve made me into a miracle; no wonder I trust you and praise you forever! Many marvel at my success, but I know it is all because of you, my mighty protector! No matter what, I’ll trust in you to help me. Nothing will stop me from praising you to magnify your glory!

David wrote this as he was getting older. You will see that in the context of the entire psalm. By looking at the psalms in a concentrated way we have come to have a sense of David’s passions and his personality. Now, we begin to compare and contrast young David with an older, more seasoned version of himself. By this point in his life, he has lived out his theology. What may have been statements of faith earlier are now proven facts. He has seen the glory of the Lord. He has seen the power of God demonstrated in his life over and over. The Lord rescued him time after time and this David is not just a passionate believer but has earned his stripes as an ardent, convinced devotee of the Almighty.

In this psalm we see David looking back upon his life recognizing the fingerprints of Yahweh throughout his life. He trusted God when he was young and full of the verve of youth. By the time of this writing, David had, not only belief, but years of experiencing God’s victorious companionship.

I often ask what makes us different from David. His walk with God is enviable. I think it fair to say that throughout his life Yahweh was his best friend. Necessity required him to rely on God but before he was anointed as king, before Saul chased him around the desert, He slew a giant. He told Goliath that he came in the name of the Lord and that alone was sufficient for triumph. Did God continually show up in David’s life because of David’s attitude and faith? What of Daniel? When they pulled him from the lion’s den, there was not a scratch on him. What about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Not even fire could separate them from the love of God?

What makes the lives of these individuals so spectacular? God is not respecter of persons (Acts 10: 34). Is the answer contained in these psalms? Is it portrayed in the life of David? What do you think made giants out of ordinary people? And more to the point, can we have this type of life now? Is God dead? Has He moved? Or is the God of David alive and well and just as much in love with us as He was with David? Click on the comment section and share your thoughts.

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Structural Integrity

On September 23, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 69: 31 – 33

For I know, Yahweh, that my praises mean more to you than all my gifts and sacrifices. All who seek you will see God do this for them, and they’ll overflow with gladness. Let this revive your hearts, all you lovers of God! For Yahweh does listen to the poor and needy and will not abandon his prisoners of love.

There is a lot of good news in this passage. David was tormented when he wrote this psalm, but he resolved into praise and praise boosted his confidence that Yahweh would, indeed, rescue him from his then present peril.

No matter how troublesome our present we, too, can have confidence that our God will never abandon us for we are bound to Him by His love for us. Though we may feel alone and that our prayers fall upon deaf ears, David confirms that Yahweh listens to us. Father hears our every whisper, every cry. His heart hears our prayers.

However, there is an important lesson we can learn from David. David might spend some time whining and even more complaining but when you read his psalm you discover that he never remains in the moaning stage. His victory is found in praise. He reminds himself of God’s love and might. When one combines the love of God with the power of God the only possible outcome is victory.

Our problem is that the construction of our prayers often fails to follow David’s. Sometimes you need to complain and grumble a little just to expunge your soul of despair. That is fine but it is not final. Eventually prayer needs to move to stage 2. Praise, then stage 3 confident statements about God’s grace for every situation.

I would encourage you to read this entire psalm and see for yourself the transition from despair to confidence. God continually showed up in David’s life and I believe his prayer composition is, at least, part of the reason why. Praise and confident expressions in the faith and loyalty of our God bring out the victory that is laying still within us.

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Rewarded

On August 21, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 31: 16

“Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord.

Have you ever labored in vain, or at least what seemed in vain? Are you spending time and energy right now that doesn’t seem to be bearing fruit for you? Well, God has a good word for you today. Your labor is not in vain. Your work will be rewarded.

I have to believe that God’s word is true and that as you sow, you shall reap. If you are sowing seeds with your effort, then God will produce a harvest. Right now, it may look like all hope is lost, that none appreciate the hard work you have been putting in. Maybe you have been working for a while now without the fruit of you labor showing. God is not a man that He should lie. Your seed must bear fruit. It is the way the universe was created. Maybe you don’t think your boss appreciates you or that anyone even notices how hard you have been working. Maybe not even your spouse knows about the sleepless nights you have had because of thinking about a project and how you can improve it. There is one, however, who sees all you have done, all you are doing. God is a witness to your hard work and dreams.

When God gives us a dream and a vision, we are propelled into a state which almost feels like a parallel dimension. We see so clearly what could be and throw the full force of our dreams and our energy into following God’s plan. We must pray and stay on His track. We must partner with Him, letting Him guide us. Then, no matter what happens, keep your faith in your vision and your God. Don’t be sidetracked by what mere men do. This is between you and Yahweh. Leave the results to him. Just focus your eyes on him and do all that is in your heart to do. Let the Lord, your God be your rewarder. He promises, “Your work will be rewarded.”

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