“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…” –Deuteronomy 8:18 REFERENCE: Deuteronomy 8:11-18 The world is going through one of its most financial shakings in decades. Inflation is on the rise in most countries, and purchasing power of most world currencies weakens daily. To rise above these murky waters of financial collapse, you must make God your source: He can be trusted. Look beyond your salary, network, business, or organization; these are just avenues for God to connect with you. He is not limited to, or by, them...
“Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.” ~ II Kings 4:26 REFERENCE: II Kings 4:17-37 You often hear people mouth the phrase, “It is well", just in about any situation they find themselves. I was one of those who concluded that the phrase had become a cliché and would not often want to ‘parrot’ it until I was praying recently, and it bubbled forth in my spirit. The woman in our text...
“So, Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” – Mark 11:22 REFERENCE: Mark 11:20-24 “Have faith in God,” Jesus said. That may be one of His most profound admonitions to His saints because a life of faith is a life of possibility, as we see in Jesus Himself. God designed you to live by faith because it makes up for our human limitations. We are not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent; however, we can achieve things beyond our human ability by faith. By faith, Jesus made a fig tree to wither overnight. The original reading of our...
“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” – Galatians 6:4 REFERENCE: Galatians 6:1-5 William Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” Self-deception is the worst plague that can befall a man, when he sees himself as different than he is, has an opinion about himself that does not correlate with his reality, and scores himself high in virtue when really, he is wicked. If we fail to assess ourselves often, we can become victims of self-deception. Paul, in our text, warned the Galatians against...
“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes.” ~ Job 14:14 REFERENCE: Job 14:13-15 Anything can happen with time. The fact that something you desire has not happened yet does not mean it will not happen; it is only a matter of time. Time is a gift of God to man. He can accomplish so much in time – planning his life, setting goals, and exchanging it for money. With time many have bettered their lives, and someone down yesterday can be up today....
“All the believers were of one heart and mind, and no one felt that what he owned was his own; everyone was sharing.” – Acts 4:32 (TLB) REFERENCE: Acts 4:32-35 (TLB) As the world goes through uncertain economic times, the church must become a place of hope and help for all, especially believers. She must become an oasis of support and supply by practicing biblical truths so that the people of God will prosper through famine and not be a reproach in the world. God’s people have all of God’s possessions to meet all of God’s needs. The...
"Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts." - Proverbs 24:3-4 (Living Bible) REFERENCE: Proverbs 24:3-7 (TLB) Before we leave this earth, we will all build something – a name, a family, a ministry, a business, or a house; in a sense, we are all builders. Certain things are critical when you want to build; a plan, resources, and foundation. What do you want to build, and how would it look? Can you fund it or sustain it? Are you willing to build it to...
“Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.” ~ Proverbs 7:23 REFERENCE: Proverbs 7:6-23 To live a meaningful and impactful life, you must understand the concept of consequences. Life is a product of choices and decisions, and every decision has consequences – a form of cause and effect. You can choose your sin, but you cannot choose your consequences. If you fail to consider consequences before making any decision – in your career, business, family, dating, or marriage, you may regret it. The young man...
“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.” ~ Psalm 107:14 REFERENCE: Psalm 107:10-16 I described ‘chains’ as events, situations, or patterns that seem to contest God’s faithfulness in your life. They represent bondage, a bad habit, stagnation, repetitive negative occurrence, limitation, and all forms of emotional or mental oppression. We should make our chains count for God and people; they should not make us bitter or abandon God. We should also show empathy to those in chains by extending God’s love to them, but that is not all; there...
“This salutation by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.” ~ Colossians 4:18 REFERENCE: Colossians 4:14-18 Paul, in chains, concluded his letter to the Colossians with greetings from some of his co-laborers. He also recognized and greeted some saints in the church, charging young Archippus to pay attention to his ministry and to ensure that he executed it well. However, Paul found it necessary to end the letter with a charge to these believers: “REMEMBER MY CHAINS.” Paul must have felt the sting of being forgotten by friends and loved ones when going through tough...