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YOU HAVE SOMETHING; USE IT (2)

  “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.’” – Matthew 25:24-25   REFERENCE: Matthew 25:14-30   People who believe they were not given any ‘talent’ often fall into destructive behaviors, largely despising what they have. They feel life, or God cheated them, that what they have is insignificant, and they complain about it like this wicked servant. They see those more ‘talented’...
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YOU HAVE SOMETHING; USE IT

“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.” – Matthew 25:15   REFERENCE: Matthew 25:14-30   This story reminds me of the law of use: “What you don’t use, you lose.” The seeming imbalance in how the Master shared his talents with his servants confronts us. It looks unfair, but knowing them, the Master gave to each according to his ability. The Master gave something to each servant; what mattered was if they used it. Likewise, you have something; use it....
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DON’T STOP TRYING

“And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, ‘For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.’” – Genesis 26:22    REFERENCE: Genesis 26:12-22   Nothing is as disheartening as putting so much effort into something and not seeing corresponding results. It is even worse when external forces sabotage your efforts and make progress difficult. Isaac, an otherwise industrious man, found himself in such a situation; the Philistines worked against all his business interests, but he...
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CHEER UP!

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." – John 16:33   REFERENCE: John 16:31-33   As long as we are in this world, we will go through unpleasant ordeals, setbacks, troubles, or pain. We do not pray to have troubles, but troubles show up one way or the other because this world lies under the sway of the wicked one, an imperfect world with imperfect people. Jesus said that in this world, trouble 'will' come, but it...
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BAD, BUT NOT IRREVERSIBLE

"While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come lay your hand on her and she will live.'" – Matthew 9:18   REFERENCE: Matthew 9:18-26   Life can be full of regrets; we look back at situations we wished turned out better or grapple with the ones that went bad. We often contend with losing opportunities, jobs, relationships, businesses, etc., for reasons beyond us. The account in today's text shows that your situation may be bad, but it is not irreversible; God brings beauty out of ashes.  ...
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ALL IN YOUR MOUTH

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs‬ ‭18:21‬ ‭   REFERENCE: Proverbs 18:20-21 The mouth is the most potent weapon God gave humanity. I say that because God Himself used His words (mouth) to speak the world, we see today into existence. Our text says life and death are in the power of the tongue. The mouth (which houses the tongue) is a creative force; it can create a haven of peace, joy, or prosperity; if misused, it can also create a miserable life. I saw...
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CHECK WITH GOD

“And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines?’” – I Samuel 4:3    REFERENCE: I Samuel 4:1-3   Life often throws surprises that go contrary to our expected outcomes at us. Sometimes, we dot all our I’s, cross our T’s, and get all our ducks in a row, but things still turn out bad. Human nature may tell you to work and try harder, put in more effort, and do or pray more. Meanwhile, it may be because of none of these; God may want...
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THE REWARD OF THE LORD

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” ~ Ruth 2:12   REFERENCE: Ruth 2:1-12   A reward is given in return for a good done or received, or offered or given for some service or attainment. It is similar to awards given to people because they merited it; however, I like to differentiate them like this – men can give you accolades and awards, but only God can reward you. It is why Boaz prayed for Ruth, “A full...
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TRAMPLE ON SERPENTS

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” – Luke 10:19   REFERENCE: Luke 10:17-19   In the bible, the serpent represents the devil for his subtlety, cunning, and deception. He was termed ‘that old serpent’ in Revelation, and in Genesis, satan took on the guise of the serpent to deceive Eve. He is man’s avowed enemy who comes to steal our joy, peace, health, etc. He kills businesses, vision, and purpose and ultimately destroys lives. However, Jesus gave us a...
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THE CYRUS’ ANOINTING

“Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — To subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.” ~ Isaiah 45:1   REFERENCE: Isaiah 45:1-5   Cyrus was the founder of the Persian empire. His courage and genius placed him at the head of the Persians, and his military prowess saw him defeat and capture the Kings of Media, Lydia, and Assyria. Later, Babylon fell before his army. Our key verse implies that kings and their armies...
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