BOASTING ALL THE MORE GLADLY

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

It's important to understand that God designed us with distinct weaknesses so that we would be dependent upon Him to succeed during the most challenging moments of our lives. Our strengths are granted to us so that we can perform certain tasks on our own, but our weaknesses are there so that God can make Himself obvious as He works in our lives. Whatever you do, don’t try to perform God’s role because your strength will likely become your weakness when God isn't part of your life's equation. Allow God the opportunity to bless you by having Him complete you through your weaknesses. He may even bless you by turning your weaknesses into strengths that you know you've never had before.

NEED WISDOM? ASK FOR IT!

James 1:5

If you need wisdom — if you want to know what God wants you to do — ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.

Have you asked God what He really wants from you? We usually find ourselves asking God for stuff, but not typically for what He wants from us. When you start asking God about what He wants you to give Him, you’re changed from being the loved one to being a lover. This is God’s goal for everyone. 1 Corinthians 8:3 says, “But the person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for.” Take the time to get to know what God wants from you. You might find the results to be enlightening. You'll probably even find yourself the recipient of His blessing.

REJECTING BASIC INSTRUCTIONS = DISASTER

Jeremiah 6:19

Listen, all the earth! I will bring disaster upon my people. It is the fruit of their own sin because they refuse to listen to me. They have rejected all my instructions.

If you're a fan of traveling by car, you’ll notice that highways and roads are full of signage for directions, instructions and warnings meant to keep everyone traveling safely. When people disregard or disobey these simple signs, the likelihood of an accident, of getting lost or possibly not even reaching one's destination goes up exponentially. In very much the same way, God has left the Word of God to the faithful as the complete how-to guide for a safe journey throughout life. The Bible guides us to our eternal destiny with our success and safety in mind. Follow God’s directions, instructions and warnings, and you’ll get to where it is that you’re meant to be in the best and safest way. If you reject the basic instructions issued by God, you may as well begin preparing for utter disaster in your life.

EVIL DESIRES, EVIL ACTIONS AND DEATH

James 1:14-15

Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.

Our paths and design were originally meant for success – that is, until man's disobedience to God allowed the devil into our lives. Once Satan was allowed into man's life, long lasting alliances with Satan were unknowingly forged allowing evil to reign and corrupt our paths. The Bible teaches us in Romans 7:5 that, “When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced sinful deeds, resulting in death.” The enemy continually tempts us to trigger the sinful nature that's within us. The way to keep our old nature dead is to continue developing our new nature by feeding upon the Word of God. Allowing our new nature to thrive will keep us on the path of success and away from the temptation that leads to death.

NUTRITION AND STRENGTH

Colossians 2:19

But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.

In real life, being connected means that you’re pretty well supplied. Just like plants grow when they are deeply rooted to soil, when a person is deeply connected to God, that person gets the kind of nourishment that’s needed for surviving life. Jesus said man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that emerges from the mouth of God. John Wesley wrote, “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field.” People are interconnected with each other in one way or another, but when it comes to God we have to individually choose to be connected to Him for our source of strength and power. Have you chosen to be connected with God today? Furthermore, are you using your connectivity to connect others with God?

WORKIN' HARD OR HARDLY WORKIN'?

Proverbs 12:24

Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.

One cannot ask to be or demand to be a leader. The leader's position is earned through hard work. Also, if you became a leader without any struggles, you likely assumed that position because somebody else in a respected place of leadership placed you there. Former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote, “I am not one of the desk-pounding types that likes to stick out his jaw and look as if he is bossing the show. I would far rather get in the background and, recognizing the frailties and requirements of human nature, try to persuade a man to go along—because once I have persuaded him, he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone.” Becoming a leader takes a time commitment and a willingness to go through the process of hard work. A true leader earns the trust and loyalty of those that will follow. Are you ready and willing to earn what you desire?

KISS OF PEACE

Matthew 5:9

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

On July 7th, 1792, Abbé Lamourette convinced the different factions of the French Legislative Assembly to lay aside their differences to end the civil unrest in France. Soon after the reconciliation was in place, the political factions were back at each other's throats thereby forever dubbing short-lived reconciliations as “Lamourette's Kiss” or basically, a good try. In light of these realities, the children of God have been given the ministry of working for peace. 2 Corinthians 5:18 teaches us that, “God has given us the task of reconciling people to him.” Romans 5:10 tells us that, “We were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Whenever we bring a reconciled soul to God through the son, we are working for the kind of peace in Christ that can override any unrest or war. Certainly to have the eternal peace of Christ would be a better choice than having the short-term ceasefire of a “Lamourette’s Kiss”.

THE TRUTH SETS YOU FREE

John 8:31-32

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

What is truth? Well, for me the truth is something that’s absolute and unchanging. The Word of God tells us all about the absolute and the unchanging in Hebrews 13:8 when we learn that, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." This validates why only Jesus could state in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." Jesus Christ is the absolute unchanging Truth and when the Truth is present, there is no room for deceitful lies. When the Truth is in your heart, you are freed from the bondage of lies. When your life is filled with the Truth, you’re set free. Are you set free from the sins you've accumulated in your life?

EVERYTHING IS WORKING TOGETHER

Ephesians 5:20

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you ever wondered why Christians typically end a prayer with the phrase, “In Jesus' name”? Well, the reason is that we were commanded to do so in Ephesians 5:20. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” In life, it's important to remember that there are no random accidents or incidents. God already knows everything - past, present and future - and if you're doing His will, be thankful that everything in your life is working together to glorify the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A HUGE INHERITANCE

Romans 10:12

Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them.

We all know that the Jews were blessed by God because of His promise to Abraham. God shows no favoritism, however, among neither Jews nor Gentiles. The same inheritance He gave to the Hebrews is the same inheritance the He gives to Gentiles according to Colossians 1:12 where we are taught, “Always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.” Colossians 3:24 tells us, “Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ.” It's a plain and simple truth that if you make Jesus your Lord and master, the blessed and generous inheritance of eternal life is yours.

EXTENDED TIME

Luke 1:50

His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him.

Mercy can be defined as undeserved compassion by God for men. Despite the ongoing rebellion and disregard for God in people’s lives, God still shows us mercy. 2 Peter 3:9 lets us know that, “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” We also learn from Romans 2:4, “Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?” God is kindly giving you extra time to come and repent; if you can trust and obey God and His will, He will definitely have mercy on you.

SERENADE OF LOVE

Psalm 149:1

Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.

Serenading is one of the most genuine and artistic ways of conveying what's in a lover's heart. When we sing a love song to God it's so sweet to Him because music itself portrays God’s character. The timing, rhythm and artistry of music can be traced to God’s very own artistry all throughout nature. Only God could move the galaxy with precision timing, planetary rhythm and radiating beauty that is nature. Praise the Lord though music and song because in the artistry of music and song, God is unveiled.

SIN IS DEEP ROOTED

1 John 2:2

He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

Sin is like a system-wide error that never was never meant to have been a part of our lives. Because the sin we’ve inherited is embedded throughout our lives, the only way for us to be sinless in God’s eyes is to have the blood of Jesus Christ run through our veins. 1 John 1:7 teaches us that, “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.” The life of a believer will run smoothly without error when the blood of Jesus Christ flows freely throughout every aspect of one's life. Do you allow for Jesus to cleanse your life of the sins that are deeply rooted in you?

GOD'S GOLD STANDARD

Exodus 24:12

And the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there while I give you the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands. Then you will teach the people from them."

When God gave us His commandments, He gave His children the gold standard of how to live. Standards are important for uniformity, consistency and most especially for safety. Since God’s commandments are the gold standard, the desirable results are very clear and you never have to question the safety of your actions. Romans 13:4 tells us, “The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.” Set yourself up within God’s gold standard and your choices will always be a safe distance from the troubles of the world. Are you living your life fully within God's gold standard?

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Matthew 6:13

And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

We learn in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that the evil one is a counterfeiter that presents himself as authentic messenger of God: “But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.” It’s nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye if something is from God or from Satan. The way to correctly identify what's in front of you is by using our spiritual eyes which are opened by prayer. This is what the prophet Elisha did in 2 Kings 6:17, “Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’ The Lord opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” Elisha’s servant saw the angels of God who delivered him from the evil one. If you pray for super spiritual vision for your own life, you too will be able to identify the authentic over the counterfeit. Have you ever been fooled by a spiritual counterfeit?

MOVE WITHOUT FEAR

Jeremiah 17:16

Lord, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people. I have not urged you to send disaster. It is your message I have given them, not my own.

The first general order for a military sentry is, “To take charge of this post and all government property in view.” God gave us orders in Matthew 28:19-20 when He said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Our order is to reach out with Jesus’ message. Move without fear because God is the only commander you'll ever have that stays with each soldier because His Spirit is in you wherever you may be.

WHOEVER DOES NOT WORK SHOULD NOT EAT

2 Thessalonians 3:10

Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat."

2 Thessalonians is quite consistent with the lesson in Genesis 3:19 where God said to Adam, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Very plainly, people have to work. It's really important to point out that Christians are not exempt from this order. Jesus offered Himself, however, to be our partner to gain peace to survive the world's pressures. Matthew 11:28 teaches, “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” It's important to remember that this verse isn’t implying that we can be lazy about our lives or that we no longer have to work hard, but rather that Jesus has a sincere and personal desire to ease our load and any sufferings.

THE FORTRESS OF STRENGTH

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.

The modern world faces a wild array of ongoing security challenges and terrorist threats. What happened on 9/11 in New York City is just an example of how a powerful nation can be attacked and hurt by a small militant group. If a global power could be vulnerable to this type of strike, where in the world could someone go for complete safety? The Bible is clear on this matter. The name of the Lord is our strong fortress because the name Jesus means "Jehoshua," which translates to “Savior”. When you find yourself in times of trouble call on His Name because He is the strongest fortress of our lives and our sole safe haven. When you've been in trouble in the past, did you first call upon God for safe haven and guidance, or did you try to figure it out on your own?

GET UP YOU LAZY BUM

Proverbs 10:5

A wise youth works hard all summer; a youth who sleeps away the hour of opportunity brings shame.

Time is one of the most important assets that all people equally. Opportunities ride upon the ebb and flow of time, which explains why when a unique opportunity is gone, it’s likely gone forever. Two schools of thought on opportunities are: 1. “That’s the person I used to be”; or 2. “That’s the person I could’ve been”. In Proverbs 10:5, King Solomon reminds us to watch out for every opportunity that God gives us, to work on those chances and to refrain from “sleeping on it” or even worse, “sleeping in”. After all, an opportunity lost because of laziness is worthy only of shame. Have you ever lost a chance at achieving or obtaining something because of your own personal laziness?

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Proverbs 10:4

Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.

The Bible teaches that if you want to gain wealth, there’s no substitute for hard work. According to Forbes’ Magazine, Asia's richest man, Li Ka-Shing dropped out of school at age 15 after his father died, to be a factory worker in a true “rags-to-riches” tale. The article goes on to say that nearly two-thirds of the world's 946 billionaires made their fortunes from scratch, relying on grit and determination, ignoring that they had not been born into wealth. These people are living proof of the lessons taught by the Word of God. In fact, this particular lesson applies not only to becoming rich, but anything that a person should desire to improve upon and achieve. No pun intended, but hard work… pays.

FINISH WHAT YOU START

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

Inventors typically start and finish a creation to make people’s lives better, despite the difficulty of the challenge(s). Some inventions are still works in progress, but can still have a large impact on culture and society. For instance, Henry Ford of the Ford Motor Company did not have a reverse gear installed on his first cars, but that didn’t stop him from putting America on wheels. Acts 20:24 teaches us, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Be patient and finish what you start despite the challenges and difficulties that should come upon you. Typically, the challenges offer huge and invaluable lessons for you while moving towards the goal of completion.

WEALTH IS NOT A BAD THING

Psalm 37:16

It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and possess much.

Let's get something straight: having possessions isn’t a bad thing. The catch is that if you don’t do what's right with those possessions, you'll likely be heading down an evil path. The Apostle Paul taught us in 1 Timothy 6:17, “Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” Trusting in the living God was clearly explained by Jesus in Matthew 19:21 when Jesus informed a rich man, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The rich man didn’t obey Jesus’ teaching for fear of a life without riches and he departed from Jesus with a sorrowful heart. Do you find that you place too much value upon your worldly possessions?

WRONGING ANOTHER PERSON

Numbers 5:6

Give these instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people – men or women – betray the LORD by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty.

Wronging a person is a betrayal of God. The Lord specifically instructed us to have a consistent walk in Christ, and to respect the rights of others while in that walk. Our God is the God of justice and in order for Him to maintain justice, the standard of His commandments must be kept. When you wrong someone in any way, you are in plain disobedience of His command. If your walk is kept upright, you’ll keep the golden commandment and love your neighbors and keenly keep the Father's commandments in your life. Take the time to search yourself and your actions for this type of behavior. There's always time to repent and to make things right.

POWER WORKING THROUGH YOU

2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.

We may identify and categorize our own personal weaknesses as handicaps, but these weaknesses have been given to us by God for specific purposes. Weaknesses were not intended to make us less of a person, but rather to display His power working in our lives. Your own strength and ability displays the kind of person you are and it is primarily in your weaknesses that God displays who He is. After all, isn't it usually at a person's weakest point that people humble themselves to His will? At the end of the day, it’s apparent that God’s power is most obvious when we’re at our neediest. It's when we're at our neediest that we can hear His still small voice clearly, and when we can see His hand moving everything around us.

NO FEAR

Psalm 34:4

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears.

Fear can be brought about by many factors. The devil often capitalizes upon our fears to paralyze us while making difficult decisions under duress or when we're in situations that offer unclear resolutions. Professor Harold Urey, a Nobel Prize for Chemistry winner, wrote the famed “I’m a Frightened Man” when he was a member of the Uranium Committee. Key wrote of the key operations of Uranium 235, “I write to frighten you. I am a frightened man myself. Even the learned are fearful.” The bondage of fear can paralyze anyone and the best solution to the bondage of fear is prayer to Almighty God because there is nothing that God cannot conquer in your life. Because He is all powerful, go to Him in prayer and be freed from every one of your fears.