My God 

On November 28, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Philippians 4: 18

But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied.

Philippians 4: 19 is a well known scripture, but I am amazed at how few people seem to know verse 18. They both talk about God’s supply but from two different postures. First let’s look at verse 19: “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Paul, in writing to the church at Philippi, taught that the God of Paul would meet the needs of the Philippians because of the gifts they had sown into Paul’s life and ministry. He said to them, “Because you have met my needs, my God will meet your needs.” This is a very basic principle of how God’s kingdom operates. When you give into a ministry, God is obligated to you. God called Paul into ministry and then the people Paul ministered to took care of meeting his needs. That obligated God to take care of their needs. That is why Paul said, “MY God shall . . ..” His God promised to bless everyone who blessed him (Genesis 12: 3).

That is the first level of God meeting your needs and it is the most basic. As you minister to the needs of the ministers, God causes your seed to multiply back to you. After we have mastered this level, then we move onto glory land. That is where Paul was. He had moved off of verse 19 and onto verse 18, “I am amply supplied.” See, Paul knew who his source was, and he knew that he could always rely on God to meet his need. You won’t move onto verse 18 until you have mastered 19 though. I would like to see the entire body of Christ over into verse 18 where it is no longer my God who will meet your need but rather your God. Isn’t that great? And God is going to more than supply your need. You will have everything in full, an abundance, and be amply supplied. You will have more than enough. Then you will have more blessings which you can sow into other people’s lives and ministries you can support. Giving will be such a way of life for you that you will barely even notice that you are doing it. You will be blessed and a blessing. May it be.

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Blessed to Bless

On October 3, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Genesis 12: 3

And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse.

I remember reading this years ago and being amazed by it, and frankly, a little bowled over by it. This speaks about the blessing which is on you as one of God’s children.

Here is the wisdom and understanding from God and it is a two-sided coin. First, as you sow, so also are you going to reap. When you bless God’s people, God blesses you. Second, those who bless you will, likewise be blessed. As for the curse, it doesn’t pay to impede God’s chosen because the blessing will also be hindered. When others come against you, you can honestly feel sorry for them because they have chosen the curse rather than the blessing.

God told Abraham that he would bless all who were a blessing to Abraham. Although this is an Old Testament scripture, you can hear God saying this to His children today. God will take it upon himself to bless the people who bless His kids. This couldn’t be more obvious than when it is applied to our ministers. God has made it His business to bless those who care for the needs of His called servants. The Apostle Paul made this point in the fourth chapter of Philippians.

This is the revelation the children of Israel had when they committed themselves to caring for the supply of the temple which we saw in last week’s scripture. In their gratitude and admiration for God they undertook to supply His house knowing full well that God would then meet all of their needs. You see, their first thought was no longer on themselves and meeting their own needs. They transcended that. They saw how the kingdom of God works. Therefore, they devoted themselves to constantly sowing into the temple. God had already bound Himself with His words. He was obligated to prosper them. And here is the really good news. God is still bound by His words. He cannot do anything contrary to His words. “Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23: 19. That is to say that what He promised to the Israelites is what He also promised you because He cannot change His words. He said He would bless those who bless His inheritance which is you and me. So, therefore, when you bless God’s kids, He is obligated (and delighted) to bless you. So, learn to be a blessing so that He can pour out His desire upon you.

And just a word on the last part of the scripture. Mind what you say about God’s elect. A curse is not only people sitting in a circle putting a curse on someone else. It is also more than profane language. When you talk bad about the child and/or servant of God, you are treading on very Holy ground to God and that seed will bear a crop just like your good seed does. Do not let your words bind you to misfortune. Be a blessing and allow God to bless you.

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Blessed

On January 29, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 86: 17             GW

Grant me some proof of your goodness so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame.

The psalmist wanted God to give him a sign that everyone could see, a sign of God’s affection. Essentially, he wanted evidence that he was favored by God so that his enemies would ashamed that they had attacked the child of God.

Sometimes I think a similar way. I pray the blessing of the Lord will show on us so that all people will see it and know that Yahweh is God, the one and only true God. Then, all the world might come to know the love of God through the lives of his disciples.

A friend of mine remarked the other day about how people do things for me. Really, I think she was just amazed at the kindness others show especially in that it seems unearned. She has seen a number of blessings rain down in my life but a recent one took the cake, I guess. Just this week, one of the other bike captains offered to make bike racks for me. I would have been happy with a picture of his. I was overwhelmed when he offered to build some for our team. I was overwhelmed by his and his wife’s kindness towards me and our team.

So, what is this gracious act a testament to? Is it a sign of my persuasiveness? No, because I didn’t ask and wouldn’t have ever thought to. Is it a testament to their kindness? No doubt! You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. They are great folks. But, there is a greater force at work here. God has given me favor. His blessing on my life interacts with the goodness in these folks to create a God moment. These great things happen in my life because God is good.

The second half of this occurrence is that the people building the racks will be blessed for having blessed our team. God promised me that whoever blesses me will, themselves, be blessed by Him (Genesis 12: 3). The other side of that coin is that those who curse me will themselves be cursed. Well, how could they not. We sow what we reap. That is another reason I have wanted a sign on me though, almost as a warning. “Don’t be mean to me because it will rebound on to you.”

People should really get a clue. When you bless God’s kids, you get blessed. When you curse them, you have the curse on you. More than anything, though, I wish that people would see the “luck” I have and understand that it is God’s hand on me. It is His blessing working in my life and it will work for everyone. He is the source of goodness. I am just lucky that He loves me.

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Free and Blessed

On August 21, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 49: 25 – 26

This is what the Lord says:
Prisoners will be freed from mighty men.
Loot will be taken away from tyrants.
I will fight your enemies,
and I will save your children.
26  I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,
and they will become drunk on their own blood
as though it were new wine.
Then all humanity will know that I am the Lord, who saves you,
the Mighty One of Jacob, who reclaims you.

There is no version in which this verse isn’t completely awesome. Genesis 12: 3 says that God will bless those who bless you but also, He will curse those who curse you. Today’s verse, from the NASB, says that God will contend with those who contend with you. Think about that for a moment. To whom does that apply? Is it the guy at work, your neighbor, the grocery store clerk? Regardless, God will handle all those folks while you smile and bless. You get to be the good guy, which is always our role, while God makes sure that everyone you encounter treats you as royalty. Any time that doesn’t happen, you just remind the entire spiritual realm that you are blessed, and that God contends with everyone that contends with you.

I know verse 26 is a bit gruesome, but you know what, I kinda like it. Your enemies will feed on their own entrails. I mean, God is serious about people messing with you and your stuff.

Prisoners are set free and your money loosed from the hands that hold it currently. These words bless me. Few of us, though, realize we are bound. Would that every Christian would be free from every bondage. That is God’s idea. No worries of any kind or limitations. Freedom from stress, bad habits, dysfunctional relationships; complete freedom in every sense, that is what Yahweh wishes to do for you.

Let’s not miss the final sentence of this passage because it is the clincher, the conclusion. When we live in God’s grace, when we live intertwined with Him and in the power of His grace, then all the world will see that He is God, that He is benevolent and that He loves those who call on His name. The world should see, and will, that life with Him is full of victory. The only thing preventing that right now is that we are living below the grace line. We are not living entwined about Him. God’s children need to rise up in the fullness of God’s plans for us and let the world see that He is good.

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Honor and Respect

On July 10, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 105: 15, Isaiah 49: 25, Genesis 12: 3

Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm. For I will contend with the one who contends with you. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.

These three verses come together to make one big point, don’t mess with God’s anointed. First, I think of our pastors. God has called people out of other professions they might have chosen to apply themselves to His work. The pay scale is not typically commiserate with what they could make in the secular world. They often have limited budgets and limited personnel to work with but despite all the limitations they are expected to be miracle workers. I believe the expectation is even reasonable. Where I think we have a problem is in our respect for those God has called.

It is very easy to criticize the pastor. We live in an egalitarian age which I believe is good but that does not entitle us to demean anyone much less our spiritual leaders. It is in our best interest to honor our pastors because our own blessing is included in our homage and respect to them. God Himself says He will contend with those who oppose or denigrate His called ones. This should be a loud warning to us. People aren’t perfect, not even our pastors but they are called by God and anointed by Him. His protection is on them so we criticize them at our own peril.

It is important to note that you are God’s anointed to. That means these protections extend to you also. All of God’s children are ministers of God’s grace and called to carry the gospel to the world but His teachers, pastors, prophets, etc. are appointed to prepare us to take the good news into all the world. So even though we are all ministers, and all loved by the Father, He still does not allow us to run down those He has chosen to minister to us and to Him.

Heed this warning, because God has said and intends to honor and protect his elected. Stay in the blessing by blessing those God has given you.

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Recovery

On August 22, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 35: 26 – 28          NIV

May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

It has taken three days to share with you the insight and emotional outpouring of David which is found in the 35th Psalm. I wanted to give you this psalm because I know that we all have been in David’s shoes emotionally.

One of the key points we can glean from this passage is that David knew his Bible. In this passage he essentially prayed Genesis 12: 3 which reads, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” It is always wise to pray the promises God has already given us. Where there is a passage which relates to our circumstance then we already know God’s will. In this case, all we have to do is line up our prayer with the promise God has already given.

The other point which I think is key is to notice how David ends this Psalm. He was certainly in great distress and poured out his heart to God but when he gets to the end he has reached the point of declaring God’s greatness. That is one of the keys to David’s success and to his great relationship with God. There are other psalms wherein David begins with a recitation of his troubles but always at the end he has laid his problem at the throne of God and taken up his instrument to sing praises to the Most High. This is a very valuable lesson. It is acceptable to lament your woes. It is okay to tell God your troubles and your feelings, but do not end your conversation there. Keep communicating with God until you reach the praise and thanksgiving stage. Keep praying until your trust in His saving grace has returned to you. Remember too, that our New Testament instruction from Jesus is to pray for our tormentors. Their actions will return to them because of the bad seed they have sown. However, we now have the power and authority to even save them from themselves because in Jesus we can pray for their healing and a reversal of their fortunes. It certainly is not the easiest thing in the world to do but we have Jesus, and in him all things are possible, even praying for our enemies.

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