Springhill Church

Topic: Brad Mullins

  • Character Studies from the Book of Ruth – Part 2

    Naomi – A Backslider Fully Restored

    Why is studying this book important? 

    1 Corinthians 10:11 (NLT)  These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

    (Review of last week’s lesson)

    Ruth 1:1-5 (NKJV)  Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.  (2)  The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.  (3)  Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.  (4)  Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.  (5)  Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

    • Bethlehem was one of the oldest cities in Judah. Its name means “place of bread” (The Word of God) and “place of worship.” The word “Ephrathah or Ephrathites”, who were the founders of Bethlehem, means “fruitfulness”.
    • Elimelech left the land of Israel and went to Moab simply because there was a famine in the land and took his family with him.
    • Elimelech fled to the land of Moab which was so evil and ungodly because he saw it as an answer to meet their natural needs.
    • Elimelech chose to go his own way. He took his life into his own hands.
    • We see everything this family experienced because Elimelech had missed God and chose to go his own way.
    • We can see what can happen to us when we make the decision to go our own way and disobey God.
    • God does not do it, but we place ourselves out there and become subject to whatever is there.

    “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. –”

    (This Week’s Material) 

    • Naomi was a Jewish woman born into the heritage of Abraham. Yet even though she was a daughter of Abraham she was not enjoying the benefits of that position.
    • She was in relationship with God because of Abraham but she was not in fellowship with God because of hers and Elimelech’s decisions.
    • The blessings of God come into our lives not solely based on our relationship with God but with our fellowship with God.
    • God is interested in our relationship with Him, but He is more interested in our fellowship with Him.

    Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

    1John 1:6-9 (NKJV)  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  (7)  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  (8)  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    There are sins of knowledge and sins of ignorance. When we walk in the light, the Blood of Jesus will cleanse us from those sins of ignorance. 

    The light we walk in should be growing every day. 

    Verse 8 – sin, referring to human nature or the ability to sin. 

    Walking in the light will cause us to be cleansed from sins that we do not know about. Walking outside of the light will not cause us to be cleansed from sins we do not know about. 

    The way that we walk back in the light and fellowship with God is to confess the sin that you know you committed and the Blood of Jesus will cleanse you from that sin and all the ones that you didn’t know about. 

    Elimelech made a choice to walk out of the light that he had and walk into what he thought was the best thing to do. 

    Naomi has a choice to make – to stay in this sinful condition or to repent and go back to the last place that she knew she was in God’s will for her life. 

    It is better to be in a famine and in the will of God then to be in a place of plenty and out of the will of God. 

    Naomi makes the decision to confess her sin, repent, and then turn her back on those sins. She appeals to God’s mercy by making this decision.  

    Proverbs 28:13 (NKJV)  He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. 

    There is provision and prosperity in God’s mercy. 

    Matthew 9:27 (NKJV)  When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

    Blind Bartamaeus cried out and asked Jesus to have mercy on him. He knew his healing was in God’s mercy.

    Mark 10:46-52 (NKJV)  Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  (47)  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  (48)  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  (49)  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”  (50)  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  (51)  So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”  (52)  Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

    Naomi is thinking: 

    • I must go back to Bethlehem where I knew I was in the will of God. 
    • When I was there before, I had a husband that could provide for me. 
    • I had two sons that if my husband had died, they could have helped provide for me. 
    • My sons could have gotten married and had grandchildren and my posterity could have gone and continued through a great family. 
    • Now, I am going back there and I do not have anything. I do not have a husband. I no longer have two sons. I have no means of income. The only thing that I will be able to do is go back there and be a beggar and a gleaner in the fields. 
    • I have no future at all. It all has been wiped out. 
    • I have sinned so badly and so much that God could never turn the situation around for me. 
    • I am going to go back and perhaps struggle but I would rather be back in the will of God for my life.
    • Everything looks impossible for Naomi.

    There is nothing impossible with God!

    Because she has repented, it opens the door for God to move in her life and do more than she could possibly imagine.

    She is in the land of Moab and has been a hypocrite for ten years and now she is going to begin to witness to her two daughters in law. 

    Ruth 1:6-14 (NKJV)  Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread.  (7)  Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.  (8)  And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.  (9)  The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.  (10)  And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”  (11)  But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?  (12)  Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,  (13)  would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!”  (14)  Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 

    As we said last week, when you backslide it affects more than just you. When you repent, the same things are true. You begin to affect the lives of those around you. 

    Notice when Naomi repents and considers her ways, Ruth and Orpah began to consider the idea of going to the land that Naomi was from. In other words, they began to consider living in the land of God’s will for themselves.

    We can rightfully assume that Naomi must have begun telling her daughters-in-law about the covenant, and the mercy of God, etc. because the girls begin to entertain the idea of going back home with her.

    Ruth 1:15-18 (NKJV)  And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”  (16)  But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.  (17)  Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”  (18)  When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. 

    Ruth did not just cleave to Naomi but now she was cleaving to the God of Naomi. 

    Naomi was bringing back a Moabite woman with her (someone from a cursed race) and was risking great ridicule from the Israelite people in Bethlehem. 

    • It is never too late to come back to God.
    • There is no way that you have sinned so much that God cannot forgive you.
    • The only way that God cannot forgive you is if you are dead and in the grave.
    • If your heart is beating, God can forgive you.
    • If your heart is beating, God has a great plan for your life.

    It was rough for Naomi to come back home but imagine what it was going to be like for Ruth. That is why Naomi told her to go back to her home. 

    Ruth 1:19-21 (NKJV)  Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”  (20)  But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.  (21)  I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 

    Naomi – pleasant and a delight

    Mara – bitter 

    The people of Bethlehem learned to love Ruth and began to see her as Naomi’s deliverance. 

    Ruth 4:13-17 (NKJV)  So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.  (14)  Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!  (15)  And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”  (16)  Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.  (17)  Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

    God restored her finances, restored her dignity and then restored her heritage. 

    Naomi had everything against her and once she made the right decision to go back home and to the place of God’s will and God restored everything to her! 

    We serve the one Who restores! 

    We serve the one that can turn your circumstances around.

    If God can do it for Naomi, he can do it for you!

  • Character Studies from the Book of Ruth – Part 1

    There are five basic types of Bible Study:

    1. Topical – study of topics such as love, faith, healing, etc. You research the Bible starting with that topic.
    2. Character – a study of a person or place in the Bible. These can benefit when you want to know the heart, attitude, and personality of a person or the importance of a particular location.
    3. Chronological – you study through the Bible chronologically. Studying this way can help you make connections between passages and books that are often overlooked.
    4. Book – studying a book in the Bible systematically helps you develop a sense of context from a book. Often this is a verse by verse study.
    5. Word – this is a study where you may begin using another type of study but you get caught on a word and desire to see the deeper insight that examining the original text or language brings.

    We are going to do a character study from the Book of Ruth.

    We will look at:

    • Elimelech
    • Naomi
    • Ruth
    • Boaz

    Why is studying this book important? 

    1 Corinthians 10:11 (NLT)  These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

    Elimelech – Lessons from a Backslider 

    Ruth 1:1-5 (NKJV)  Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.  (2)  The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.  (3)  Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.  (4)  Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.  (5)  Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. 

    • Bethlehem was one of the oldest cities in Judah. Its name means “place of bread” (The Word of God) and “place of worship.”
    • Elimelech left the land of Israel and went to Moab simply because there was a famine in the land and took his family with him.

    Both Elimelech and Lot had a lot in common. Both knew the Lord and yet became carnal and turned their backs on the Lord. They knew the right way to go and yet went after their own eyes and the desires of their flesh. 

    Lot’s prosperity occurred because of his relationship with Abram. He was sanctified by his relationship with Abram. 

    Abram gave Lot a choice and a decision when it came time for them to part ways. It came time for Lot to no longer be able to ride on Abram’s coat-tails in his relationship with God. 

    Genesis 13:8-13 (NKJV)  So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.  (9)  Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”  (10)  And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.  (11)  Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.  (12)  Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.  (13)  But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

    Genesis 19:1 (NKJV)  Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 

    • Lot chose the land that was more appealing to the eyes and faced Sodom. 
    • The next thing that we read is that Lot pitched his tents toward Sodom. 
    • Next we see him living at the gate of Sodom and then next we see him living in Sodom. 

    Most of the time, someone moving away from the things of God is not an overnight event but rather a long process and series of decisions. 

    2 Peter 2:7-8 (NLT)  But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.  (8)  Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 

    Lot’s family became so entrenched in the city that his family members had to be drug out of Sodom.

    After Lot and his family fled Sodom, his wife was turned into a pillar of salt and then later that night as they camped in the mountains, Lot’s daughters became concerned about not having children. 

    • Moabites and Ammonites were descendents of Lot and came as a result of Lot’s drunken nights of incest with his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38).

    Genesis 19:36-38 (NKJV) (36)  Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.  (37)  The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.  (38)  And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.

    The name Moab means “son of incest or my father”.

    Ammonites were into blatant sexual perversions but the Moabites were more subtle but they had it out to try and overthrow Israel. 

    King Balak of Moab hired Balaam to go and try to overthrow the Israelites by cursing them but when he tried that three times and it did not work, they had to change their strategies. Balaam then told Balak to send prostitutes in to infiltrate the people and lead them away from the Lord. 

    The chief god of Moab was Baalpeor. He was worshipped by child sacrifices by the burning of children alive to appease their god. 

    The children of Israel were warned not to co-habitat with these people because they were so wicked. 

    Elimelech should have remembered the wicked ruler Eglon and should not have gone to Moab.

    Judges 3:12-26 (NKJV)  And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.  (13)  Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms.  (14)  So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.  (15)  But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.  (16)  Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh.  (17)  So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)  (18)  And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute.  (19)  But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him.  (20)  So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat.  (21)  Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.  (22)  Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out.  (23)  Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.  (24)  When he had gone out, Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber.”  (25)  So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.  (26)  But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah.  

    Elimelech fled to the land of Moab which was so evil because he saw it as an answer to meet their natural needs. 

    Elimelech chose to go his own way. He took his life into his own hands. 

    Elimelech – means, “God is King.” 

    He should have eventually changed his name to, “I am king.” He took God off the throne and put himself on the throne. 

    Backsliding never involves just you but you take others with you. 

    Ruth 1:2 (NKJV)  The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 

    Elimelech died and yet his sons never changed and desired to go back to the Lord. They ended up marrying Moabite women. 

    • Mahlon (sickly) married Ruth (friend).
    • Chilion (pining) married Orpah (stiff-necked)

    The two sons eventually died and left Naomi a widow and son-less. Naomi is left alone in Moab.

    Your life is made up of your choices! Your success or your failure is dependent on your choice to go after God and His will or to choose to follow those around you. You cannot blame anyone except you. 

    Naomi decides that she is going to go back to the place of God’s blessing and the Word of God against all odds. 

    If you are miserable today because you are out of the will of God, simply repent and go back to the last known place of the will of God. 

    Ruth 1:6-7 (NKJV)  Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread.  (7)  Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

    God can take those experiences in your life that maybe someone caused to happen in your life because of their bad decisions and turn them around and bring you into your destiny.

    Matthew 1:1-6 (NKJV)  The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:  (2)  Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.  (3)  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  (4)  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  (5)  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,  (6)  and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

  • Living Life Beyond Miracles – Part 3

    Living Life Beyond Miracles – Part 3

    Ephesians 1:3 NKJV (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

    God has already blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.

    We have said that everything starts in the spiritual realm before it manifests in the natural realm. These blessings are spiritual but they are designed to affect our lives in every realm in which we walk.

    There is something better than needing a miracle and that is being in the position to be a miracle for someone else.

    Which is better: to need money in your bank account or to have money in your bank account?

    Definition of a Miracle:

    Miracle – a Divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.

    Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV (13) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”), (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

    Notice God’s plan is not that we live in the miracles of Abraham but the blessing of Abraham which is what was working in Isaac’s life to cause the harvest to come in the time of famine.

    What is a blessing?

    • In the Hebrew it means favor being bestowed from one to another, prosperity
    • In the Greek (eulogia) favor conferred, gift, benefit, bounty
    • Blessings can be from man to God (praise)

    Revelation 5:12 NKJV …saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

    • Blessings can be from man to man.

    Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau (Genesis 27:27)

    • Blessings can be from God to man.

    Genesis 1:22,28 – God blessed Adam and Eve in the Garden

    • Blessings are not tangible.
    • Things are not blessings.
    • Things are the result of blessings or being blessed.

    It is favor poured out on your life which releases God’s power to work on your behalf.

    If we are already blessed then what activates the blessing in our lives?

    Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV (1) “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. (2) And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

    The blessing of God is designed to work with you and not for you. But it is only activated when we give our attention to OBEY what the Lord has told us to do.

    Obedience it what causes the blessing to become active in our lives.

    What is the blessing of God for? Is it about me and you?

    No, it is to be a testimony to the goodness of God.

    Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. (2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

    The difference between being created and being blessed:

    After he created them He blessed them.

    Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV (26) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

    When God formed man of the dust of the ground and then breathed into him and he became a living being, was that a miracle or a blessing? It was a miracle.

    Remember, a miracle is enough to meet the need.

    After God made man He blessed them.

    Genesis 1:28 NKJV (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    Once the blessing comes upon something, it gains the ability to keep on producing.

    What is better than having a little money to meet your needs because of the miraculous? Having money in your account and then that money comes into contact with God’s blessing and keeps on producing.

    Mark 6:41 NKJV And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.

    Miracles are wonderful, but they don’t have any seeds in themselves to keep on producing.

    The Blessing contains the seeds to keep it going on perpetually.

    Once God’s blessing comes on something, then it gains the ability to have seeds and keep producing after its own kind.

    A miracle is like a great big seedless watermelon with no seeds in it.

    A blessing is a watermelon loaded with seeds that are able to keep on producing more watermelons.

    Blessings are pronounced with words.

    Notice God spoke to Adam, and blessed him.

    Blessings are so big, you can pass them on to your children after you. This was a common practice in the Old Testament.

    Notice that in the Old Testament, the fathers would not just pass on their possessions, they something else because they knew they needed the blessing on them for it to be able to continue.

    Once a blessing goes out it cannot be rescinded.

    (Genesis 27:27-29)

    The blessing is not reversible!

    When we pass on the blessing by blessing our children, God will honor that blessing that is in line with His Word and see to it that it comes to pass.

    We see where Balaam, a backslidden prophet was paid to curse the Children of Israel.

    Numbers 23:8 NKJV (8) “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

    Numbers 23:19-20 NKJV (19) “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (20) Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

    The Children of Israel did not even know that this was going on. They just kept going on in the blessing.

    The only one that can stop the blessing of God in your life IS YOU!

    Galatians 3:8-9 NKJV And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” (9) So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

    Curses can be removed by the blessing. (Galatians 3:13-14)

    How do we get blessings to come into our lives?

    We are going to make this so simple tonight, that you will be able to apply and have the blessings flowing in your life.

    God has given miracles for a purpose and He has given blessings for a purpose.

    The purpose of miracles is to get people to believe in God.

    Many times, miracles do not require faith because we can see here that the Children of Israel were not using any and yet God still helped them.

    Elijah and prophets of Baal

    1 Kings 18:36-39 NKJV And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. (37) Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” (38) Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. (39) Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

    Baal was the fire God and producing fire would have been a miracle that he could have done and that is why Elijah called down fire to consume the sacrifices.

    John 2:11 KJV (11) This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

    John 2:23 KJV (23) Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

    John 4:47-48 NLT When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. (48) Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in Me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

    Exodus 7:5 NKJV And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

    Luke 5:4-11 – Jesus tells Peter to cast out his nets and he caught a huge catch of fish. This was a miracle in order to get Peter to believe.

    John 7:31 NKJV And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

    John 20:30-31 NKJV And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; (31) but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

    Romans 15:18-19 NLT Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. (19) They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.

    Mark 16:20 NLT And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

    God does some miracles in the lives of believers to get us out of crisis situations but ultimately the purpose of miracles is to get sinners into the Kingdom of God so that God can move from a life of miracles to a life of blessing.

    Oftentimes, when a believer’s heart becomes hard to the things of God, God will perform miracles to try and get them back on track. It is a kick-start to get them back where they need to be.

    What is the purpose of blessings?

    Remember we said one of the differences between miracles and the blessings is that blessings require responsibility and obedience.

    Deuteronomy 8:6-10 NKJV (6) “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. (7) For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; (8) a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; (9) a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. (10) When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

    The Blessing will provide for your physical healing:

    Exodus 23:25 NKJV “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

    These things are not just for the Children of Israel. We can receive these things too.

    The Blessing to you and your children:

    Exodus 20:6 NLT But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey My commands.

    Deuteronomy 12:28 NKJV Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

    1 Chronicles 28:8 NLT “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel–the LORD’s assembly–I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.

    Isaiah 44:3-4 NLT For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your children. (4) They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.

    The Blessing is purposed to prosper you:

    Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

    Joshua 1:7-8 NKJV Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (8) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

    Job 36:11 NKJV If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

    Isaiah 33:15-16 NLT (15) Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong– (16) these are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance.

    Again the purpose of the blessing is so that we can be a miracle for other people. God wants us to have such an abundance that we are always in a position to be used to meet the needs of others.

    2 Chronicles 31:10 NKJV (10) And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.”

    2 Corinthians 9:8-11 AMP (8) And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. (9) As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! [Ps. 112:9.] (10) And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. [Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12.] (11) Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.

    God’s Economy

    Matthew 6:25-26 NKJV (25) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

    Why did Jesus talk about the birds? It is because birds are oblivious to the economic conditions around them. They simply know that there will be food for them. They do not live by man’s economy.

    Jesus wants us to get to a place in life that we are simply living, loving, trusting, obeying, and believing God and He said all of these things will be added to us. Our lives will be provided for and then we are in a position to meet others needs.

    Matthew 6:28-32 NKJV (28) “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; (29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

    When you are focused on your needs and how are they going to be taken care of, you are no different than the heathen.

    Did God save us so that we can just live exactly like the heathen live? NO!!!

    Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV (1) “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. (2) And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

    When you need a miracle all you are focused on is the need. When you are living in the blessing of the Lord, all you are focused on is Him and doing what He wants you to do.

    This brings us to the last purpose of the blessings: So that the world will look at our lives and want what we have in our lives because it sets us apart.

    Bottom line: God wants to hear the word and do it. That is what activates the blessing in our lives.

  • Living Life Beyond Miracles – Part 2

    Living Life Beyond Miracles – Part 2

    Ephesians 1:3 NKJV (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

    God has already blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.

    We said last week that everything starts in the spiritual realm before it manifests in the natural realm. These blessings are spiritual but they are designed to affect our lives in every realm in which we walk.

    There is something better than needing a miracle and that is being in the position to be a miracle for someone else.

    Which is better: to need money in your bank account or to have money in your bank account?

    Definition of a Miracle:

    Miracle – a Divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.

    Let’s look at some comparisons between miracles and blessing:

    • Miracles come in crisis situations.
    • Blessings keep us out of crisis.
    • Miracles only come in small amounts – just enough to get you through.
    • Blessings always come in abundance.
    • A Miracle is just enough for you.
    • Blessings are enough so you can start giving to other people.
    • Miracles can come even when you are in unbelief.
    • Blessings must be received by faith.
    • Miracles are mainly designed for sinners and young Christians.
    • Blessings demand responsibility and obedience to the Word of God.
    • Miracles are temporary. They last as long as the crisis situation is present but once the need is met or the crisis is over, the miracle ends.

    Peter walked on the water ONE time. He would have sunk if he had tried it again. The feeding of the 5000 by Jesus did not continue on and on nor did it spread to everyone all around. It was for those that were present and just at that moment. Elijah outran the chariot ONE time. He split the Jordan River ONE time. God split the Red Sea ONE time.

    • Blessings are eternal.
    • Miracles counteract, contradict, and override natural laws.
    • Blessings work with natural laws.
    • In miracles, God works FOR you.
    • In the blessings, God works WITH you.
    • Miracles are a jump start, designed to get you to the life of blessings.
    • The blessings are so that you can be a jump start for someone else to get them into a life of God’s blessings.

    We are not supposed to live off of jump starts.

    • Miracles are just enough.
    • Blessings will always keep growing. They can grow and increase as you grow and increase. Seeds sown will always reap more than what was sown.
    • Blessings will always work in spite of circumstances.

    Even during Jesus’ ministry, the people did not have to rely on miracles, but they did.

    Luke 13:10-17 NKJV Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. (11) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. (12) But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” (13) And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (14) But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” (15) The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? (16) So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound–think of it–for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (17) And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

    Apparently, this woman had a right to have been healed because she was a Jew, but because of ignorance did not know to receive it and this is what upset Jesus so much.

    There were some Gentiles that Jesus healed who did not have that right, but Jesus performed a miracle for them.

    Matthew 15:21-28 NKJV Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. (22) And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” (23) But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” (24) But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (25) Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” (26) But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (27) And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (28) Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

    God has a better plan for His people!

    Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV (13) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”), (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

    Notice God’s plan is not that we live in the miracles of Abraham but the blessing of Abraham which is what was working in Isaac’s life to cause the harvest to come in the time of famine.

    What is a blessing?

    • In the Hebrew it means favor being bestowed from one to another, prosperity
    • In the Greek (eulogia) favor conferred, gift, benefit, bounty

    Blessings can be from man to God (praise)

    Revelation 5:12 NKJV …saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

    Blessings can be from man to man.

    Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau (Genesis 27:27-29)

    Blessings can be from God to man.

    Genesis 1:22,28 – God blessed Adam and Eve in the Garden

    • Blessings are not tangible.
    • Things are not blessings.
    • Things are the result of blessings or being blessed.

    It is favor poured out on your life which releases God’s power to work on your behalf.

    If we are already blessed then what activates the blessing in our lives?

    Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV (1) “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. (2) And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

    The blessing of God is designed to work with you and not for you. But it is only activated when we give our attention to OBEY what the Lord has told us to do.

    Obedience it what causes the blessing to become active in our lives.

    What is the blessing of God for? Is it about me and you?

    No, it is to be a testimony to the goodness of God.

    Genesis 1:11-12 NKJV (11) Then 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, on the earth”; and it was so. (12) And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

    Why doesn’t the scripture just say that God made the grass, and God made the trees, etc.

    God does not just make something and then go off and leave it. If He did, He would have to keep making more trees.

    Genesis 1:20-22 NKJV (20) Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” (21) So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (22) And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

    After he created them He blessed them.

    Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV (26) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    When God formed man of the dust of the ground and then breathed into him and he became a living being, was that a miracle or a blessing? It was a miracle.

    After God made man He blessed them.

    Once the blessing comes upon something, it gains the ability to keep on producing.

    What is better than having a little money to meet your needs because of the miraculous? Having money in your account and then that money comes into contact with God’s blessing and keeps on producing.

    Miracles are wonderful, but they don’t have any seeds in themselves to keep on producing.

    The Blessing contain the seeds to keep it going on perpetually.

    Once God’s favor comes on something, then it gains the ability to have seeds and keep producing after its own kind.

    A miracle is a great big watermelon with no seeds in it. A blessing is a watermelon loaded with seeds that are able to keep on producing more watermelons.

    Blessings are so big, you can pass them on to your children after you. This was a common practice in the Old Testament.

    Notice that in the Old Testament, the fathers would not just pass on their possessions, they something else because they knew they needed the blessing on them for it to be able to continue.

    Blessings are passed on with words.

    Notice God spoke to Adam, and blessed him.

    Once a blessing goes out it cannot be rescinded.

    (Genesis 27:27-29)

    Curses can be removed by a blessing. (Galatians 3:13-14)

    When we pass on the blessing by blessing our children, God will honor that blessing that is in line with His Word and see to it that it comes to pass.

    We see where Balaam, a backslidden prophet was paid to curse the Children of Israel.

    Numbers 22:18 NKJV (18) Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

    Balaam said he could not go beyond what God has said.

    Numbers 23:8 NKJV (8) “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

    Numbers 23:16-20 NKJV (16) Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” (17) So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” (18) Then he took up his oracle and said: “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor! (19) “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (20) Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

    The Children of Israel did not even know that this was going on. They just kept going on in the blessing.

    The blessing is not reversible!

    The only one that can stop the blessing of God in your life IS YOU!

    Galatians 3:8-9 NKJV And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” (9) So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

  • Living Life Beyond Miracles – Part 1

    Living Life Beyond Miracles – Part 1

    Ephesians 1:3 NKJV (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

    In the Greek, verses 3 – 14 are all one sentence.

    Every blessing that we have started out as a spiritual blessing.

    We can look around us and think that everything that we see is eternal but it is not. Only those things that are spiritual are eternal. Spiritual things will be here forever.

    Everything that we see in the natural world around us are products of the spiritual world.

    Example: Healing starts out as a spiritual thing before it becomes a physical thing to us.

    Example: Our natural, material prosperity starts out as a spiritual thing before it becomes a physical thing, manifested in the natural realm.

    Jesus illustrated this when He cursed the fig tree because it dried up from the root.

    Mark 11:12-14 NKJV (12) Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. (13) And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. (14) In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

    Mark 11:20-24 NKJV (20) Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. The things that we desire to see happen in our lives are not going to start out in the natural realm, they are going to start in the spiritual realm.

    This is why it is so important to pay attention to the Lord when we are praying about certain things as there might be something in us that needs to be changed spiritually before the change can take place naturally.

    The Holy Spirit is aware of what needs to happen both spiritually and naturally in order for the answer to come into our lives. This could be the reason that some things are taking so long in our lives is because we need to change before the situation can change.

    We need to remember that for us as believers, that even though we live in a natural world, our way of life is a supernatural, spiritual way of life.

    We are spirit first before we are natural.

    Sometimes we get so used to moving in the natural that we forget that are spiritual beings.

    New Point:

    Some Christians find themselves saying, “I just don’t see miracles in my life any more. They used to happen when I first got saved but I just am not seeing them in my life anymore. I don’t understand why this has happened.”

    There is something greater that God has for us than living by miracles.

    I think that most Christians if faced with the choice between miracles and blessings would choose the miracles, but we are going to see that blessings are the better choice.

    A lot of times we would rather hear the testimony of a miracle rather than the testimony of someone receiving a blessing because in our minds the miracle is more special, dramatic or impressive. But according to the Word of God it is not.

    It is God’s desire that we walk in His continuous blessing all the time.

    Blessings are just as supernatural as miracles. Will we ever get to a place that we don’t need miracles? No.

    There is something better than having to live day to day and depending on God to sustain us by miracles.

    Exodus 16:11-18 NKJV (11) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (12) “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ ” (13) So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. (14) And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. (15) So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. (16) This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ” (17) Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. (18) So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.

    Psalms 78:24-25 NKJV (24) Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. (25) Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. Apparently for 40 years, God let man eat what angels eat when they choose to eat.

    Remember, the angels that came to rescue Lot and his family ate with Lot after much insisting by Lot.

    This was a miracle, but it was not God’s best for the Children of Israel. If you will recall, it was not God’s original plan for them to stay in the wilderness for 40 years. At the most it should have taken them a year.

    Remember when they came up to the border of the Promised Land and sent the spies in to spy out the land and they came back with the clusters of grapes so large it took two men to carry them.

    But the 10 also came back talking about how they were grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants and then the two came back talking about how little the giants were in light of God and His promises. The 10 convinced the people and so they stayed in the wilderness for another 39 years.

    They continued to live in the wilderness eating manna (“what is it?”) and quail for another 39 years.

    In the morning they would have manna and in the evening they would have quail.

    The quail were miraculous because quail do not fly over the wilderness. They fly where there are bushes and trees.

    Scholars have stated that there were approximately 3,000,000 Hebrew people. In order to feed them manna every day it required 4,500 tons of manna every morning. To feed them manna over 40 years required 65,700,000 tons of manna. If every person ate one quail per day it would take 3,000,000 quail per day or 90,000,000 quail per month. To provide water for all of the people would have required 15,000,000 gallons of water every day.

    As awesome as all of this was, it was not God’s best for them.

    Joshua 5:10-12 NKJV (10) Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. (11) And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. (12) Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

    God’s best was not to live on the manna every day but was to get to the promised land and live off of the provision and blessings that were there in the promised land.

    We have the understanding that if someone sees a miracle it will cause them to want to believe in God.

    This can happen, but it is not always the case.

    Remember, the Egyptians saw at least two miracles every single day and did not believe.

    The Children of Israel saw the same miracles, yet they still wandered around in doubt and unbelief.

    We need to always remember that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. The goodness of God can be seen in many different ways.

    Definition of a Miracle:

    Miracle – a divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.

    The Blessing – a supernatural empowerment.

    Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”), (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

    Deuteronomy 28:8 NKJV “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

    Let’s look at some comparisons between miracles and blessing:

    • Miracles come in crisis situations.
    • The Blessing can keep us out of crisis.

    Does that mean we will never face a crisis situation? The answer is no. The children of Israel encountered a crisis even after they entered into the Promised Land at Jericho. The Lord still showed up and performed and miracle and caused the walls to fall flat.

    • Miracles only come in small amounts – just enough to get you through.

    If you try and hoard up a miracle it will rot and not be any good for anyone.

    • The Blessing always comes in abundance.
    • A Miracle is just enough for you.

    Remember the manna was just enough for those in your tent.

    • The Blessing is always enough so you can start giving to other people.

    God is ready for your abundance to become some else’s miracles.

    • Miracles can come even when you are in unbelief.

    Remember the reason that God began to the manna and the quail was not because He had heard all of their faith confessions.

    Exodus 16:12 NKJV (12) “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ “

    • The Blessing is manifest as we believe God and His Word.
    • Miracles are mainly designed for sinners and immature Christians.

    The Children of Israel had come out of Egypt but Egypt had not yet come out of them.

    Even though they complained and murmured, God still provided the manna and the quail.

    • The Blessing demands responsibility and obedience to the Word of God.

    Isaiah 1:19 NKJV (19) If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

    • Miracles are temporary. They last as long as the crisis situation is present but once the need is met or the crisis is over, the miracle ends.

    Peter walked on the water ONE time. He would have sunk if he had tried it again. The feeding of the 5000 by Jesus did not continue on and on nor did it spread to everyone all around. It was for those that were present and just at that moment.

    • The Blessing is eternal.
    • Miracles counteract, contradict, and override natural laws.
    • The Blessing can work with natural laws.

    Notice God wanted to feed them with the fruit of the earth when they were in their place of blessing. But they had to grow it, mine it.

    • In miracles, God works FOR you.
    • In the Blessing, God works WITH you.

    God’s ultimate desire is to bless you according to seedtime and harvest. Meaning that whatever you sow (put your hands to) God will bless and multiply that back to you. God has said in His Word that He will bless the WORK OF YOUR HANDS.

    Deuteronomy 16:15 NKJV Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

    Deuteronomy 28:8 NKJV “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

    • Miracles are a jump start, designed to get you to the life of blessings.
    • The Blessing is so that you can be a jump start for someone else to get them into a life of God’s blessings.

    We are not supposed to live off of jump starts.

    • Miracles are just enough.
    • The Blessing will always keep growing. It can grow and increase as you grow and increase. Seeds sown will always reap more than what was sown.
    • The Blessing will always work in spite of circumstances.

    Isaac sowed in the time of famine and God blessed it and He multiplied in spite of the circumstances (famine) that was in the land. This was not a miracle because Isaac did his part in obedience to the Lord and God worked with him.

    Notice God’s plan is not that we live in the miracles of Abraham but the blessing of Abraham which is what was working in Isaac’s life to cause the harvest to come in the time of famine.

  • A Little Bit of Wisdom – Part 6

    Part 6

    (Proverbs 4:7 TLB) Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment.

    Knowledge is having knowledge and knowing some principles – wisdom is the ability to apply to your life.

    Treat wisdom like a friend that stands beside you.

    Proverbs 27:6 NLT Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

    If a friend can speak to you and be faithful by wounding you and bringing correction, then so should the Word of God and wisdom be able to wound you like a friend. Wouldn’t you rather a friend tell you the honest truth and have it hurt than have the flattery of an enemy.

    Wisdom is going to be brutally honest.

    I believe the missing key for most of us to enjoy the prosperity of the Lord, is something very small; a minor adjustment.

    Proverbs speaks of being lazy or laziness 17 times.

    What does being lazy mean?

    Matthew Henry: The slothful desire the gains the diligent get, but hate the pains the diligent take; therefore they have nothing.

    Am I Lazy?

    1. Lazy people never rise to the top.

    (Proverbs 12:24 TLB) Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed.

    Going over and above the norm is what will produce promotion.

    Set goals and compete with yourself.

    (Matthew 5:41 NKJV) And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

    Roman soldiers could require someone standing on the side of the road to help them carry their armor and belongings one mile.

    1. Lazy people irritate their superiors.

    (Proverbs 10:26 GNB) Never get a lazy person to do something for you; he will be as irritating as vinegar on your teeth or smoke in your eyes.

    1. Lazy people always have good intentions, even many desires, but no initiative.

    (Proverbs 13:4 NLT) Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

    (Proverbs 21:25 NLT) Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.

    1. Lazy people are always bouncing from one crisis to another.

    (Proverbs 15:19 NKJV) The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway (higher path).

    The thorns hurt because they are bouncing around from one thing to another.

    1. Lazy people are wasteful.

    (Proverbs 12:27 NLT) Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.

    1. Lazy people always have an excuse for their laziness.

    It is never their fault. They always have an excuse.

    (Proverbs 26:13 TLB) The lazy man won’t go out and work. “There might be a lion outside!” he says.

    (Proverbs 26:13 MSG) Loafers say, “It’s dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!” and then pull the covers back over their heads.

    I Am Diligent!

    Diligence – constant and earnest effort to accomplish what needs to be done.

    The greatest asset in the life of prosperity is having the attitude of hard work and diligence.

    The diligent person is not a workaholic but is a smart worker.

    1. Diligent people always rise to the top.

    (Proverbs 12:24 NLT) Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.

    (Proverbs 22:29 AMP) Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

    1. Diligent people have goals and a strategy on how to reach them.

    (Proverbs 24:27 NLT) Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.

    1. Diligent people are always looking at things to see how they can cause it to work and produce for them.

    (Proverbs 21:5 AMP) The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent tend only to plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient and hasty hastens only to want.

    They are asking the question, “How can I prosper from this?” rather than, “How can I get out of this?”

    With the diligent person, it begins with their thoughts.

    1. Diligent people are prepared for the future.

    A diligent person puts his best into his future.

    (Proverbs 6:6-8 NLT) Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! (7) Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, (8) they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.

    The ant knows how to work hard but also knows how to work with nature and gets things to work for him.

    1. Diligent people will prosper.

    (Proverbs 10:4 NKJV) He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

    (Proverbs 13:4 NLT) Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

  • A Little Bit of Wisdom – Part 5

    Part 5

    (Proverbs 4:7 TLB) Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment.

    Knowledge is having knowledge and knowing some principles – wisdom is the ability to apply to your life.

    Hebrew word means “skilled living”.

    Being teachable is the key to growing and becoming better.

    26 of 31 chapters of Proverbs teach or mention this topic.

    The Babbling Fool

    (Proverbs 10:8 NLT) The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

    This verse is saying that there are times we are talking when we should be listening. A lot of times we do this because we are insecure. Might be a protection or defense mechanism.

    • The know it all.

    (Proverbs 28:26 NLT) Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.

    • The been there, done that.

    (Proverbs 18:2 NLT) “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.”

    • The one upper.

    (Proverbs 12:15 NLT) “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”

    (Proverbs 17:28 NLT) Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

    The Listening Heart

    (Proverbs 1:5 NLT) Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance.

    • Is humble.

    (Proverbs 11:2 NLT) Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

    Humility is your choice – humiliation is when someone makes that choice for you!

    Choosing to be humble is when we choose to lay pride down. Humiliation is when pride is taken from you painfully!

    • Has a desire to grow.

    (Proverbs 15:14 NLT) A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.

    (Proverbs 15:32 NLT) If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

    Very often growth does not feel good. Ever hear of “Growing Pains”?

    • Will embrace correction.

    Correction is never fun but we must learn to embrace it. We may not enjoy it but it should help us to grow and become better.

    Correction is never rejection!

    The enemy will always make sure you interpret correction as rejection to make you get bitter and not better.

    (Proverbs 12:1 NLT) “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.”

    (Proverbs 13:18 NLT) If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.

    A Teachable Life

    (Proverbs 13:13-14 NLT) People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. (14) The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.

    1. Learners initiate.

    They take the first step to learn and get better.

    (Proverbs 18:15 NLT) Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.

    (Proverbs 2:2-4 NLT) Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. (3) Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. (4) Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.

    (James 1:5 NLT) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.

    1. Learners implement.

    (Proverbs 7:24 TLB) Listen to me, young men, and not only listen but obey;

    (James 1:22 NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

    • Water Baptism – July 15th
    • Growth Track Membership Class – July 21st
    1. Learners improve.

    (Ephesians 4:15 NLT) …we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.

    Grow (Greek) – to increase, enlarge, to exceed

    Improvement is a process!

    1. Learners inspire.

    (Proverbs 27:17 NIV) As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

    A Little Bit of Wisdom #5:

    (Proverbs 19:20 NLT) Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.

    The habit of a teachable spirit produces a life of consistent wisdom.

  • Armed and Dangerous – Part 13

    Armed and Dangerous – Part 13

    A large portion of the content of this lesson came from Dressed To Kill by Pastor Rick Renner.

    Ephesians 6:13-18 NKJV Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (18) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

    The Lance of Prayer and Supplication

    The lance although not mentioned by name in the text is clearly included.

    When you wield the “lance of prayer and supplication”, this powerful prayer tool is thrust forward into the spirit realm against the works of the enemy. By forcibly hurling this divine instrument in the face of the enemy, you exercise the power God has given you to stop major obstacles from developing in your personal life.

    The Roman lances varied greatly in size, shape and length. Some were used for gouging the enemy up close and some were used for hurling at the enemy at a distance.

    After hitting his enemy with longer lance, the soldier would draw his sword and run to finish off the opponent – cutting off his head while he lay wounded on the ground.

    Various Kinds of Prayer

    (Ephesians 6:18 NKJV) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

    (Ephesians 6:18 NIV) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

    God has made many kinds of prayer available to us for different purposes in our fight of faith.

    Just as a Roman soldier had the short lance for thrusting into his enemy at close range, nothing can compare to the believer’s prayer of faith that is filled with authority!

    Similarly, just as the Roman soldier had a long lance to hurl at his opponent from afar, we have the weapon of intercession that allows us to thwart an enemy attack in our lives or in someone else’s life before it even occurs.

    Unseen spirits continually seek to bombard the flesh and hassle the minds of believers. These wicked spirits hat the presence of Jesus Christ and His church on the earth, making prayer an indispensable offensive weapon for believers to use to ward off the enemy’s attacks.

    We simply cannot maintain a victorious position apart from a life of prayer!

    Yes, Jesus has already won the victory through His death, burial, and resurrection, but it is our responsibility to enforce and maintain that victory.

    How often should we pray?

    (Ephesians 6:18 NKJV) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

    The phrase “praying always” comes from the Greek phrase:

    “en panti kairo” which means “at every time or season.” It can be accurately translated “at every opportunity” or “every chance you get.”

    Paul is telling us, “Anytime you get a chance, no matter where you are or what you are doing, at every opportunity, every season, and every possible moment – SEIZE the time to pray!”

    Prayer is not optional for the Christian who is serious about his spiritual life!

    Prayer is the most ignored piece of weaponry the Body of Christ possesses today yet is equally as important as all the other pieces.

    Seven Kinds of Prayer for the Believer
    1. Prayer of Consecration
    2. Prayer of Petition
    3. Prayer of Faith (or Authority)
    4. Prayer of Thanksgiving
    5. Prayer of Supplication
    6. Prayer of Intercession
    7. Prayer of Worship
    1. Prayer of Consecration

    In the New Testament, the word for prayer used 127 times is “proseuche”.

    “Pros” is the Greek prefix meaning “face to face”, “close” or “up-front.”

    (John 1:1 NKJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    It tells us there is an intimate face to face relationship with God.

    Prayer should bring us face to face and eyeball to eyeball with God in an intimate relationship.

    In the OT, people would very often bring a gift of thanksgiving in advance of their prayer. (Example of Hannah offering Samuel for God’s service)

    Often, they would make a vow or pledge to give something to give back to God once the prayer was answered.

    This word for prayer is much more than praying a prayer request. It is also an act of surrender, consecration, and thanksgiving.

    The idea behind “proseuche” is this: Come face to face with God, and surrender your life in exchange for His, consecrating your life on an ongoing basis.

    (Matthew 26:39 NKJV) He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

    1. Prayer of Petition

    The second most often word for “prayer” is taken from the Greek word “deesis”.

    This word has to do with the basic spiritual needs that must be met in order for a person to continue in his or her existence.

    It can mean a cry for God’s help that exposes a person’s insufficiency to meet his or her needs.

    (Hebrews 5:7-8 NKJV) who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, (8) though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

    Jesus was praying for the Father to provide divine assistance to help Him in his humanity.

    “Deesis” has to do with humility and a deep dependency on God.

    (James 5:17 NKJV) Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

    A prayer of petition is therefore prayer that exposes a person’s insufficiency and his continual need for God.

    1. Prayer of Faith or Authority

    “Aiteo” is used approximately 80 times in the New Testament. This word means “I ask” or “I demand”.

    This word describes someone who prays authoritatively, almost demanding something from God. This person knows what he needs, and he isn’t afraid to boldly ask to receive it!

    “Aiteo” has more to do with tangible needs such as food, shelter, money, etc.

    (John 15:7 NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

    This is not disturbing when you keep this thought in context with the first part of the verse.

    When we allow the Word of God to permanently and habitually lodge in our hearts, that Word so transforms our minds that when we pray, we do so in accordance with God’s will.

    (1 John 5:14-15 NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

    God’s desire is that you move forward boldly and courageously in prayer in order to seize His will for your life and bring it into manifestation!

    1. Prayer of Thanksgiving

    “Eucharista” – good and grace – wonderful feelings and good sentiments that freely flow up out of the heart in response to something.

    (Ephesians 1:15-16 NKJV) Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, (16) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

    “My feelings concerning you cannot be contained. I can’t help but thank God for you!”

    (Colossians 1:3 NKJV) We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

    (1 Thessalonians 1:2 NKJV) (2) We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

    (1 Timothy 2:1-2 NKJV) Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, (2) for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

    1. Prayer of Supplication

    “Enteuxis” – This word can be translated in some cases as “intercession”. I carries the thought of earnest, heartfelt continued prayer for someone else.

    The prayer of supplication can be prayed for believers and unbelievers alike depending on the need.

    (James 5:16 AMP) Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

    1. Prayer of Intercession

    “Entugchano” – This is where we stand in the gap for another and bridge two people together. It means to fall into a situation or happen into a circumstance with someone else.

    Intercession is when someone is under pending trouble or judgment, one stands in the gap for them to stop the danger.

    (Hebrews 7:25 NKJV) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

    “Huperentugchano” – This word is only found one time in the New Testament.

    This word is when someone falls into a deep situation and calls out for a rescue operation to begin.

    (Romans 8:26 NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

    The Holy Spirit does this work on our behalf.

    It speaks of those times when the Spirit of God supernaturally joins us in our circumstances, shares our emotions and frustrations, and then begins working a rescue plan that ultimately get us out of that mess.

    1. Prayer of Worship

    “Proskuneo” – The simple definition of the word for worship is to kiss the hand like a dog would lick the hand of its master.

    John 4:23-24 NKJV But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (24) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

  • A Little Bit of Wisdom – Part 4

    Part 4

    (Proverbs 4:7 TLB) Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment.

    Knowledge is knowing some principles – wisdom is the ability to apply it in your life.

    Hebrew word means “skilled living”.

    Words in the Bible:

    • Believe = 272 times
    • Pray = 371 times
    • Love = 714 times
    • Give = 2161 times

    God is a generous God. People that follow God are generous people.

    The World of the Generous

    (Proverbs 11:24 MSG) The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

    Most of the Scriptures on generosity have more to do with what generosity does from the generous person than it does for the recipient of that generosity.

    (Acts 20:35 BBE) …keep in memory the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, There is a greater blessing in giving than in getting.

    When we live a life that is focused on how we can serve others and make our lives better, it causes us to be better.

    “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill

    “A life not lived for others is not a life.” Mother Teresa

    The vision of our church is four-fold. We lead people to:

    • Know Jesus
    • Encounter God
    • Experience Life-Change
    • Make a difference

    We want your life to make a difference.

    ✓ The generous are happy.

    Being generous is fun. God hard-wired you that way. There are chemicals released in your brain when we are generous.

    (Proverbs 11:25 NLT) The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

    Prosper – be pushed forward

    (Proverbs 21:26 NLT) Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!

    Examples of our Generosity as a Church:

    • Charlotte Rescue Mission – $2500.00
    • Freedom Within Walls – $2250.00
    • Rooted – $1500.00
    • Link Church – $3000.00

    ✓ The generous are compassionate.

    Compassionate people are looking to make things right for others.

    (Proverbs 29:7 NIV) The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

    (Proverbs 21:13 NIV) If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

    ✓ The generous are blessed.

    We never want this to be our motivation. We are generous because we love God first and people second.

    “When God blesses you financially, don’t raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving.” Mark Batterson

    (Genesis 12:2 NLT) I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

    (Proverbs 22:9 NLT) Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.

    (Proverbs 28:27 NLT) Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

    ✓ The generous are rewarded.

    (Proverbs 19:17 NIV) Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

    (Revelation 22:12 NLT) “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.”

    A Legacy Life

    A Legacy Life is a life that goes on beyond just us.

    “What we do for ourselves usually dies with us. What we do for others lives beyond us.” Chris Hodges

    (Psalm 112:9 NIV) They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.

    (Psalm 112:5-6 NIV) Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.

    (2 Corinthians 8:7 NLT) Since you excel in so many ways–in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us–I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

    (2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV) You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

    Four areas that God gives us that we can be generous:

    1. Generous with our time. (Dream Team)
    2. Generous with our talent.
    3. Generous with our touch. (An encouraging text or call)
    • Smile
    • Sympathize
    • Speak Up
    • Serve
    • Sacrifice
    1. Generous with our treasure.

    (Luke 6:38 NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

    A Little Bit of Wisdom #4:

    The value of life isn’t determined by how much I achieve or accumulate but by how much of my life I give away.

  • Armed and Dangerous – Part 12

    Armed and Dangerous – Part 12

    A large portion of the content of this lesson came from Dressed To Kill by Pastor Rick Renner.

    Ephesians 6:13-18 NKJV Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (18) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

    Ephesians 6:16 NKJV above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

    We must remember that the Roman Soldier’s shield and loinbelt were inseparably linked together.

    The massive shield rested on a small clip attached to his loinbelt when not in use.

    The loinbelt is representative of the written Word of God. Attached to the written Word of God is faith.

    Your faith is attached to the Word of God.

    The presence or absence of faith is determined by the presence or absence of God’s Word. Faith and the Word of God are inseparable.

    Romans 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

    The Word of God is central and foremost to everything else that we have in God.

    Your ability to walk in the knowledge of who you are in Christ hinges entirely on the Word of God; so does peace and strong faith.

    Faith is a result of the impartation of God’s Word into the human heart.

    It will be impossible for us to grow in faith unless the Word of God has a priority in your life.

    Although Born Again and destined for Heaven, you will not be able to enjoy the benefits of your salvation NOW – in this life – unless you permit the power of God’s Word to continually work to transform your mind.

    Furthermore, there will no sword of the Spirit (rhema word) at your disposal when you desperately need it.

    Thank God for the times when the Holy Spirit speaks that special word to your heart, but you do not have to depend on that. You can have the “loinbelt” of God’s Word in your heart for the Holy Spirit to draw upon in bringing help and insight.

    The Roman Soldier possessed two types of shields:

    1. Aspis – a smaller, round shield that was primarily a decorative piece of equipment to be used in public ceremonies and parades.
    2. Thureos – in the Greek refers to a door that was wide in width and long in length. These shields were shaped like a door.

    The Holy Spirit chose to refer to the second shield as the illustration of faith versus the aspis.

    Like a wide and long shield, the faith God has given you is adequate to cover every need that could ever arise in your life.

    God has given you enough faith through His Word to cover every need or battle.

    The shield was made up of multiple layers (usually six) that were tightly woven together. They were woven tightly that they became almost as strong as steel.

    Because the soldier’s shield was made of all of the animal hides, is was extremely strong and exceptionally long lasting and hard-wearing.

    Your faith is extremely tough and exceptionally durable – more so than you ever realized.

    No matter how hard and how long the enemy beats against your faith, your faith can outlast his attack.

    The shield must be properly taken care of.

    Every day the soldier would wake up and would reach for his shield and a small vial of oil. After saturating a piece of cloth with this heavy ointment, he would thoroughly rub the oil into the leather of the shield to keep it soft and pliable.

    Without proper care, the leather would become hard, stiff and brittle. Over time it would have hardened until, when it was put under pressure, it cracked and fell to pieces. Proper care of his shield could make the difference of life and death on the battlefield.

    If the Roman Soldier wanted to live a long life, it was imperative for him to pick up that vial and apply the oil to his shield every single day of his military life.

    Because the shield is representative of our faith, this analogy tells us that our faith requires frequent anointings of the Holy Spirit.

    Without a constant, fresh touch of the Holy Spirit’s power on your life, your faith will become hard, stiff, and brittle.

    Faith that is ignored nearly always breaks and falls into pieces during a confrontation with the enemy.

    Play it safe and assume that your faith always needs a fresh anointing. By taking this approach, you will always seek to do what is necessary to keep your faith alive, active and well.

    We do this by going to the Great Anointer and spending time in prayer and worship, allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to us.

    There was another reason the soldier’s shield was made of leather.

    Before the soldier went out to war, he placed his shield in a tub of water, then he left it there soaking until his shield was completely saturated.

    Why did he do this? Because his enemies used arrows that carried fire.

    Even when those dangerous flaming arrows hit their targets, the wet surface of the shield would extinguish them on impact. These water saturated shields gave the soldier the upper hand in battle by putting out the enemies’ fire.

    Ephesians 5:25-26 NKJV Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

    We see that in order for Roman Soldiers to keep their shields in top-notch condition and effective in battle, it was required that their shields had daily applications of both oil and water.

    We must make certain that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to freshly anoint our lives on a daily basis as we regularly saturate our faith with the water of the Word.

    Ephesians 6:16 NKJV above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

    This verse is not telling us that the shield of faith is more important than any other piece of spiritual weaponry. We already know that the loinbelt of truth (God’s Word) is what holds it all together and thus is the most important piece of armor.

    The phrase “above all” in the Greek is “epi pasin”. The word “epi” means “over” and the word “pasin” means everything. This phrase is correctly translated: “out in front of all”.

    It describes position not importance.

    Faith is designed to be out front where it can completely cover you in every situation of life!

    The phrase is telling us that the shield of faith is meant to completely cover us and protect us from harm – especially when we are marching forward to take new ground for the Kingdom of God.

    Ephesians 6:16 NKJV above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

    This word comes from the Greek word “analambano.” It means to take something up in hand or to pick something back up again.

    This plainly tells us that the shield of faith can be laid down and picked back up again.

    1 Timothy 1:18-19 NIV Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, (19) holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.

    It especially assures us that if we have laid our faith down at some point along the way – if we have gotten discouraged and stopped believing God to work in our lives – it is not too late for us to “pick up” our shield and walk in faith again.

    Ephesians 6:16 NKJV above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

    This phrase comes from the Greek word “dunamis” and tells us that when we hold the shield of faith in front of us – when it is anointed by the Holy Spirit and saturated with the Word of God – your faith positions you to move in God’s explosive and dynamic power.

    Power and faith working together in your life will spiritually equip you to hold your position against the enemy with out taking any serious blows to yourself.

    What are the “fiery darts of the wicked?”

    In Roman times there were regular arrows, similar to those we use today. Then there were also arrows which were dipped in tar and set on fire. Finally, there were arrows that contained combustible materials that could burst into flames on contact.

    When Satan does not have direct access to your life, he will shoot fiery arrows into your emotions, weak places in your mind and heart in order to inflict the maximum damage.

    By keeping your shield of faith anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit and saturated with the water of the Word, you will ensure that every fiery dart the enemy launches against you will miserably fail!

    It is also important to note that we as Christians can march side by side with our shields joined together to help one another and strengthen a body of believers.