"God Will Keep His Word To You"

02, March 2017

"God Will Keep His Word To You"

‘I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass.’ Isaiah 46:11 KJV

Friends may fail to keep their promise to you, but not God!  He has put His reputation on the line by promising to perform every word that He’s spoken.  ‘You have magnified Your word above all Your name’ (Psalm 138:2 NKJV).  If God has spoken it, He will do it!  But there’s one qualifier: if He’s decreed a condition, you must fulfill it in order to receive His promise.

After Elijah’s confrontation with Baal’s prophets on Mount Carmel, he told King Ahab, ‘Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain’ (1 Kings 18:41 NIV).   Ahab ate and drank, and Elijah, atop Carmel, fell on his face in prayer.  It hadn’t rained in three and a half years, but Elijah fulfilled God’s condition and the desperately needed rains came.

Often we claim God’s promises without checking the conditions. Yet His conditions are an integral part of many of His promises—and He expects us to fulfill them.  God will do what He says if you follow the simple steps Elijah practiced:  (1) Believe the promise. (2) Fulfill the condition.  (3) Pray persistently,  believing God will keep His Word.  (4) Be patient.

Elijah sent his servant out seven times to look for signs of rain, never once doubting God’s promise. On the seventh time the rains began. Question:  are you being obedient to the conditions that accompany the promise you’re claiming?  Do your part and watch God honor His word to you:  ‘I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.’

"Try to be more patient"

28, February 2017

"Try to be more patient"

‘Be patient with all.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:14 NKJV

You’ve probably heard the joke about the lady who prayed, ‘Lord, give me patience; and I want it right now'!  That’s not so funny when it reflects how you live. If you get annoyed at having to wait for anything, your impatience can hurt you. The only person who has the power to make things happen the way He wants them to, is God.  But even He is gracious, and respects our will and waits for us to get in line with His will.  And since we’re not God, think how foolish it is to become upset with the supermarket assistant, a volunteer, bank cashier, or the slow driver who doesn’t move at warp speed.

Jesus said, ‘By your patience possess your souls' (Luke 21:19 NKJV).  Here the word, souls, refers to our emotions. Jesus is saying, ‘Take control of your emotions and show a Christlike attitude'. Your ability to handle delays, disappointments, and detours will determine your level of joy and peace.  When you discover that you cannot control what’s going on around you, decide to control what’s going on within  you.

Overcoming impatience involves three things:

(1) Admitting you have the problem.  As long as you rationalize and justify your attitude, you won’t grow.

(2) A commitment to allow the Holy Spirit to produce patience in you.  Patience doesn’t come by making New Year’s resolutions or counting to ten; it’s the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit, and it grows with your cooperation (see Galatians 5:22).

(3) A decision to ‘be in the moment,’ rather than obsessing over what must happen next.

"Things You Must Overcome" (Part #3)

23, February 2017

"Things You Must Overcome" (Part #3)

‘Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ Proverbs 4:7 NIV

The third thing you must overcome on your way to success is ignorance. As the ancient writer Aristophanes pointed out, ‘Ignorance can be educated … but stupid lasts forever.’

Far too often we don’t think realistically, or we fail to seek out the information and expertise we need.  Edison failed many times, but his eventual success didn’t come from luck—it came from preparation. Many of us undervalue knowledge.  For example, because computers allow us to try and to fail so many times, we don’t take time to read the manual. Because we’re so rushed, we’re reluctant to stop and find out what we really need to know. Because young people feel pressured into getting a job, often they fail to see the value of investing time in higher education.

Golf champion Jack Nicklaus said, ‘Learn the fundamentals of the game and stick to them. Band-Aid remedies never last’.  You may be fortunate enough to get promoted beyond your level of competence ... But if your knowledge doesn’t keep up with your position, you’re doomed to fail.

Here are some Scriptural words to live by: ‘Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honour in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly’ (Proverbs 3:15–18 NLT).

"Prepare Them For Adolescence"

11, January 2017

"Prepare Them For Adolescence"

‘Children are known by the way they act.’ Proverbs 20:11 NLT

When you see signs of adolescence in your child, it’s time to talk with them.  As the parent of a preteen, your task is similar to that of a football coach who’s trained his squad all through the late summer and early autumn. Now the first game is about to occur, when direct coaching is not going to be possible. So the coach gathers the players in the dressing room and makes one last speech before they take the field.  He reminds them again of the fundamentals of the game, and gives them the old pep talk about winning.

Similarly, as the parent of a preteen you’ve been teaching them through preschool and primary school years about right and wrong, what to believe, and how to behave.  Now the big contest called adolescence is about to begin and your team will take the field. From that point forward, very little parental advice can be given.

A Christian psychologist recommends that parents take an eleven- or twelve-year-old child on a ‘preparing for adolescence’ trip, during which moral values and family principles are repeated and emphasized: sex education and the physical changes of adolescence, the approaching social pressures, and other fundamentals that should be discussed.  When you’ve done this, you’ve two things left to do:  (1) Assure them you love them and will always be there for them, and that will never change.  (2) Pray for them every day.  And don’t just pray, have confidence in the power of your prayers: ‘The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results’ (James 5:16 NLT).