“And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.” – I Kings 17:13 REFERENCE: I Kings 17:8-16 On the third day of creation, God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself…” Every plant carries its seed within itself and has the power to reproduce itself endlessly. The seed bears the roots, stem,...
“And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.” ~ Acts 27:22 REFERENCE: Acts 27:18-26 It is said, “As long as there is life, there is hope.” Life is the most precious of the gifts God gave to man because you cannot benefit from other gifts without it. The worst the devil can do to a man on a mission is to cut his life short so that he will not reach his destination; for as long as he has life, he will arrive, although he...
“For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again…” – Job 14:7a REFERENCE: JOB 14:7-9 No matter what a tree has suffered – chopped and cut down by the axe of circumstances, there is still hope for it. Its roots are buried deep in the soil; therefore, it will sprout again when droplets of water touch it. Trees in the northern hemisphere often drop all their leaves in autumn to help them weather the winter. They look naked, bare, and exposed, but when spring comes, they blossom again. You can...
“When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.” – Deuteronomy 8:10 REFERENCE: Deuteronomy 8:7-18 Watch global news or walk a few miles from your neighborhood, and you will notice the hundreds and thousands of people who lack most of life’s necessities. There is a scarcity of food and clean water; many are jobless, homeless, and living in abject poverty. I often feel pained that many may never be able to enter a fast-food joint and buy a beef burger. It’s sad. Reading this today is...
“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take you Mary your wife…” Matthew 1:20 REFERENCE: Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph had a relationship crisis at hand; his patriarchal society would applaud him if he took the popular decision. His fiancé, Mary, with whom he had just gone through premarital counseling and whose parents he had ‘officially’ met, was pregnant and he knew nothing about it. The culture required that the wedding ceremony process stops, the dowry is returned, and...
“…the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” – Isaiah 11:2b. REFERENCE: ISAIAH 11:1-5 ‘Might’ is rooted in the Hebrew word ‘gibbor.’ It means “champion, strong, mighty, or he who excels.” It is related to the name of God, El Gibbor – The Mighty God. The spirit of might manifests when God is acknowledged as the doer of any great exploit impossible to man, one that is clear to all that, ‘God did it.’ The spirit of might is an expression of the Holy Spirit in a man’s life. It...
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace…” – Galatians 1:15 REFERENCE: GALATIANS 1:13-17 Paul lived his life doing what he thought was his life's mission – preserve the traditions of the fathers, strictly observe the laws of Moses, and zealously persecute the church of Jesus Christ. He sincerely did these with all his heart, considering all as pleasing God and running on the lane assigned to him by God. Little did he know that he would soon receive a call from God. While on his mission of...
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10 REFERENCE: 1 PETER 4:7-11 Everything you have has been given to you by God; it is not yours; you hold it in trust for the actual Owner, God. Webster’s dictionary says stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. It is managing something on another's behalf. Stewardship is about living your life knowing it is a loan from God until you return to Him. Ultimately, the test of stewardship is...
“…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some…” – Hebrews 10:25a REFERENCE: Hebrews 10:21-25 A good Christian is in the habit of gathering with other believers for fellowship. Fellowship is necessary for a successful and effective Christian walk. Our text counsels us that Jesus’ return is soon, so we should not neglect fellowship. Fellowship is a friendly association with people with whom one shares the same interests. It is union, mutual support, comradeship, brotherhood, and solidarity. These words already speak of the benefits of fellowship. For a Christian, fellowship is the place of growth, productivity,...
“…what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…” – 2 Peter 3:11b REFERENCE: 2 PETER 3:11-12 Men's empowerment has not received enough attention. Who helps him fight his fears? To who does he cry? Who teaches him how to be a man of honor or how to treat a woman? Who helps him navigate his culture’s definition of sexuality and manhood? The world paused to celebrate fathers yesterday; in the next week, inspired2Go will focus on men to empower them. These will be invaluable lessons for women and younger men too. Manner is the...