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  • The Bountiful Benefits From Being Generous

    Proverbs 11:25 “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”

    Sometimes I like to present our verse to date from other versions:
    KJV: Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
    ESV: Proverbs 11:25  Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
    HCSB: Proverbs 11:25  A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.
    NLT:  Proverbs 11:25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

    From other Bible versions, you can easily conclude that a generous person will experience bountiful blessings. I like the NLT reminding us that those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. 

    Are you generous?  When we think of someone being generous, we think of one freely giving and freely giving more than what is expected.  When someone is generous, freely giving more than is expected, they are a tremendous blessing.  Have you been the recipient of someone’s generosity? I know I have been multiple times. I know the blessings of others’ generosity. 

    From being blessed by others I want to be a blessing to others.  I hope you feel the same way.  Our verse is APPEALING that we choose to be generous as it reveals the advantages, the blessings, the benefits, of being generous.  

    Getting personal: What is your thinking when it comes to YOUR MONEY?  
    On a scale of 1-10 with 1 low and 10 high, are you a KEEPER?  
    On a scale of 1-10 with 1 low and 10 high, are you a GIVER?  

    As we look at Proverbs 11:25 we probably should include Proverbs 11:24. It says, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.”  

    What is Proverbs 11:24 telling us?  The stingy tight-fisted person thinks they are going to be better off because they are KEEPERS.  The picture of Proverbs 11:24 is from the world of agriculture and it pictures the scattering of a seed like wheat.  Being stingy with the seed wheat leads to a small harvest, but a bountiful scattering of seeds leads to a bumper harvest!  The short interpretation of Proverbs 11:24 is YOU CAN’T AFFORD to be STINGY!  YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO NOT BE A GIVER!

    You do get to make your choice with your money.  Proverbs 11:25 lets you know that being a blessing brings multiple blessings!  Let me say that again.  BEING A BLESSING BRINGS MULTIPLE BLESSINGS.  Your blessing to another blesses them and it will bless you!  

    BEING A BLESSING BRINGS MULTIPLE BLESSINGS.

    Continue Strong being generous, 
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • An Exemplary Example

    Acts 11:24 “For (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

    This description of Barnabas gives us an exemplary example of what each of us should be doing with our lives. His actions are a guide for character and contribution during one’s life. His description can easily become a person’s mission statement. It is a verse one would want to have read and used to describe their life at their funeral!

    Unpacking the verse we see Barnabas, the encourager, was a GOOD MAN!! Good instead of bad! Good because of doing right instead of doing wrong! Good as in UPRIGHT!  As well, he was also GOOD because of his service. He was known for DOING good! 

    Barnabas was a good man who was good at doing good work as he did many good works!

    Are you good? As the Christmas season grows closer, we pose the question to children “Have you been good this year?” However, this question is not a seasonal question. It should be a daily question. Are you good in character?  Are you doing good things in contributing to others?  

    It is said that Ben Franklin asked himself in the morning, “What good shall I do today?” And in the evening, “What good have I done today?”

    Not only was Barnabas a good man he was full of the Holy Spirit.  He was empowered by the Spirit of God to be and do good! He was filled – controlled – led by the Spirit of God! He walked and worked by the POWER of GOD!  He was DEPENDENT on GOD to do the GOOD that he did! 
    Are you described as a person full of the Holy Spirit?

    He was a man of FAITH! The faith spoken of here is not faith for salvation but faith to believe God to do what God was placing on his heart to do. He walked and worked by FAITH! He moved fearlessly forward! 

    And the results of such living we read that many were saved!  

    What a one-verse TESTIMONY! He was GOOD and DID GOOD! He was EMPOWERED by God, being FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! He lived and worked by FAITH in God!  AND many are SAVED!  Some might say such a person is rare and maybe so but I would pray that there would be many who are Acts 11:24 people!  I pray you will be an Acts 11:24 person.

    Continue Strong following the example of Barnabas,
    And remember to DATE THE Word

  • Filled with Joy

    Acts 11:23 “When he arrived and saw the evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.”

    As Barnabas was seeing firsthand that God was blessing the ministry at Antioch 

    he was filled with joy.  He was filled by joy because lives were being changed by God.  He was filled with joy because God’s people were learning and growing and living like Christ and making Christ known to others.   It leads me to ask what brings joy to my heart, to your heart.  

    Barnabas, who is best known as the encourager, then did what he did best, and he lived up to his name and spoke words of encouragement to the believers that they might stay true or fully committed to the Lord.  What an example to us that as we see God at work and blessing ministries to provide words of encouragement. 

    Putting this verse into personal action are you on the lookout for evidence of God’s blessings?  Do you ask people to share how God is working?  I encourage you to do so.  As you hear how God is working in someone’s life or ministry you are going to find your heart filled with joy!

    Are you sharing with others what God is doing in your life?  As Christians, we do have to balance being boastful with being humble.  I would encourage you to make sure you are bragging about God, not yourself.  And I would encourage you to SHARE what God is doing!!  I heard a Christian leader say one time that if we don’t tell our story no one else will. The sharing of a testimony will bring joy to other believers. 

    While we share your burdens with one another but also share your blessings with one another!  

    Be filled with joy when you hear of God’s working and blessings and share your testimony of God’s working and blessing so others will be filled with joy!

    Continue Strong looking for the evidence of God’s blessings,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Joseph Had A Futuristic Faith

    Hebrews 11:22 “By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.”

    Joseph had a futuristic faith. Joseph is the last of the 4 major characters of the book of Genesis. It started with Abraham who is regarded as the father of faith. Then we have Issac and then Jacob.  Starting in Genesis 30 we read of the adventures of Joseph, adventures filled with adversities.  He would go from being his father’s favorite to being cruelly sold into slavery by his brothers.   While finding favor as a slave he is promoted to the overseer of Potiphar’s house in Egypt, yet he is cruelly falsely accused by a very wicked woman, known only as Potiphar’s wife of sexual assault. He was persecuted for his conviction to live pure! This decision of Joseph and the lie of Potiphar’s wife lands him in prison.  While he finds favor in prison he is also forgotten.  God, though, had not forgotten him and at just the right moment Joseph was raised to be the prime minister of Egypt. Having the ability to interpret dreams he is able to prepare Egypt for the coming famine.  This famine will allow him to be reacquainted with his father, Jacob, and with his brothers.  What a story to read!

    With that quick summation of the life and times of Joseph, we pause to ponder our verse for November 22 from Hebrews 11:22. Unlike the faith of Abraham or Issac or Jacob, Joseph’s faith was futuristic.  The faith he has is not for himself but for the children of Israel in later years.  He knew that one day THEY would return to the promised land and he wanted his bones to be buried in the promised land.  By faith, he knew!!  He knew they would be returning one day!

    Please allow me to highlight one very important piece of information.  Many times we believe Joseph’s last word in Genesis was his perspective on his life. You might recall in Genesis 50:20 he had said to his brothers, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”  As great as that is it is not his last words. Hebrews 11:22 says when he was dying, he made mention of the departure, which is the end of Genesis 50.  

    In making mention of the departure, he was letting them know of his confidence, his faith, in God’s promises.  

    And it was not just the promise to get them back to the promised land but that God would take care of them. Notice Genesis 50:24 as Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

    Oh, friends, God will surely take care of you! Until you get to your heavenly home hear this dying man’s last words: God will surely take of you!  What a futuristic faith Joseph had.

    God will surely take of you!

    Continue Strong knowing of God’s great care for you!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • By Faith, Jacob Finished Well!  

    Hebrews 11:21 “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.”

    By faith, Jacob finished well  He stopped wrestling with God and started worshipping God. You may recall, that the story of Jacob begins in Genesis 25 with the birth of him and his twin Esau to Rebekah and Isaac. Jacob’s story is then weaved through the rest of the book of Genesis with a concluding statement in Genesis 49:33, which says, “And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.” 

    As we look at our verse from Hebrews 11:21 we see that just before he would die, he would not just command his sons but would bless Joseph, whom he had for years thought was dead.  And not only did he bless Joseph he was able to bless the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh.   

    What a moment that must have been to bless Joseph and then bless his grandsons! For the longest time, he only had a memory of a most precious and cherished son that left him struggling with the promises of God. There came the point with Jacob that he hit rock bottom as not only was Joseph “dead” but his wife Rachel had earlier died in childbirth, and he presently was in a famine.  After going to get grain in Egypt Simeon, his son, was kept as a prisoner.  To get more grain Benjamin has to go down to Egypt.  In this low moment, Jacob cried out in anguish “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”  Genesis 42:36

    Let 4 words and then 6 words sink in:
    4 words: You have bereaved me!  
    6 words: All these things are against me. 

    That is the mind of Jacob in Genesis 42:36. God has bereaved him, or God had robbed him as that is what the word bereaved means.  From the standpoint of Jacob God has robbed him and everything is against him!   

    Now at the end of his life, he is seeing both Joseph and his grandsons and he tells them as he blesses them that God is the One “who has fed me all my life long to this day.” (Genesis 48:15) 

    Please don’t miss the keyword spoken in Hebrews 11:21 as one reads “and worshiped!” What a great ending for Jacob!  While his story is filled with wondering about God, even being very upset with God it ends with him worshiping!! 

    And you too can have a great ending!  Know that what you see today happening in your life is not the whole story. While Jacob was thinking all things were against him God was working all things out for his good! So keep trusting God! 

    Finish Well by faith!

    I find with the story of Jacob it is good to read Footprints in the Sand!

    One night I dreamed a dream.
    As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
    Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
    For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
    One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

    After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
    I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
    I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
    especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
    there was only one set of footprints.

    This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
    “Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
    You’d walk with me all the way.
    But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
    there was only one set of footprints.
    I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

    He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
    Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
    When you saw only one set of footprints,
    It was then that I carried you.”

    Continue Strong believing that God is working all things out for His glory!
    And remember to DATE The Word!

  • Bringing Delight To The Lord

    Proverbs 11:20 “Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their ways are His delight.”

    Bringing delight to the Lord should be a top desire in our lives.  As far as contrast goes Proverbs 11:20 may be one of the greatest for contrasting God’s feelings (attitude and actions) toward our behavior. Toward those who are perverse (think crooked, think twisted, think depraved, think dishonest) He finds them to be an abomination, to be detested and despised.  Make no mistake that the perverse and depraved behavior is detested and despised by God.  He absolutely can’t stand this behavior.  On the other hand, toward those who are blameless (think upright, one with integrity, honest, doing what is right) he finds them to be his delight.  

    One might say the perverse brings pain to God’s heart while the blameless brings pleasure to God’s heart.   

    It should be the aim of each of us to do that which brings pleasure to God, doing what is pleasing to God.  2 Corinthians 5:9 says, “We make it our aim – our ambition – to be well pleasing to God.”  Our actions are acceptable to God!

    As well, it should be our desire to despise any depraved action.  His children should despise that which God despises.  Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”

    In considering Proverbs 11:20 we asked what is your heart’s daily desire. 
    Is it to bring pain to the heart of God or pleasure to the heart of God?  
    Is it to have God despise your actions or be delighted in your actions?  

    Our choices have consequences! May we do the things that delight the Lord!

    Continue Strong, desiring and living to delight the Lord!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Bible Before Breakfast Bible Before Bed

    Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

    Deuteronomy 11:19 instructs parents to instruct their children and gives parents a variety of ways to instruct children. So often we think of a place to teach our children, but it is a person(s) that is to teach our children and the first person with the top responsibility of teaching God’s Word to their children is the parents of the children.   

    For some of you, this is incredibly challenging.  It was for me.  It is one thing to be a learner and a whole different thing to be a teacher.  I had to learn to teach.  One of the lessons I learned for teaching was that I was to be learning not just for myself but for my children.  This meant that during my quiet time, I was reading for me and for them.  This meant that when listening to a sermon I was listening for me and for them. There would be numerous times I would read or hear something that I knew the Holy Spirit was impressing me to share with my children.  

    Another big lesson for me was to be watching for and creating teachable moments to pour into my children Biblical truth.  Teachable moments arise when questions come up.  Be ever so careful when your child is curious and asking questions about spiritual things.  Don’t quench that curiosity.  Give answers to their questions or find the answers. Matter of fact, fuel curiosity by asking questions. Jesus not only answered questions from the disciples He Himself would ask questions! 

    As you look at the instructions from Deut. 11:19, it does give some very practical “suggestions” for teaching your children.  There is the time sitting in your house which today may be when you are eating a meal. There is the time when you are walking which today would be driving.  Then there is when you lie down and when you rise up.  I have a friend who likes to say bible before bed and bible before breakfast. Friends, end each day with a Bible verse and start each day with a Bible verse.  It could be the same one for a week. It could be a different one for each day.  What is important is you are teaching some of God’s Word to your children!

    Being direct, what was the last Biblical truth you taught one of your children? How are you applying the teaching of Deuteronomy 6 and Deuteronomy 11:19 to teach your children?

    Continue Strong passing God’s Word on to the next generation!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Keep God’s Word Visible For Viability

    Deuteronomy 11:18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

    Before us, we have instructions for placing God’s Word in strategic places so that it might be quickly remembered and most importantly applied.  God’s Word tells us to place or lay up God’s Word in our hearts. David said in Psalm 119:11 that he had hidden God’s Word in his heart so that he might not sin against God.  Some versions translate “hidden” for treasure. Solomon writes in Proverbs 7:1 that his son should “keep his words, And treasure his commands within him.”

    One of the most important spiritual disciplines is memorizing God’s Word.  We read and hear it, but we also must memorize it so we can have immediate recall as we face decisions, especially when we face temptations.  

    Are you memorizing God’s Word?  Do you have a plan to memorize a verse a week?

    To help with the memorization we are instructed to bind them on your hand and put them in places where they can be seen.   For us today that means having them on a note card or on your phone in notes.  It means placing verses in frames and hanging them on walls.  It means placing a verse on your refrigerator or on a mirror in the bathroom.  I challenge you to be creative in placing key verses in places where you can easily see to be reminded of what God’s Word says!   

    Not only should your heart be filled with Scripture, but have your home filled with Scripture.  
    For me, it seems that as I keep God’s Word visible it helps to make it more viable!  

    Take a little inventory based on Deuteronomy 11:18. How much of God’s Word is hidden in your heart?  Look around your house and see how much of God’s Word you see.  What about where you work?  You should have Scriptures on your desk and maybe on your walls.  Inventory and put Deuteronomy 11:18 into practice. 

    Continue Strong, 
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Division = Desolation

    Luke 11:17 “But He knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.””

    From the teaching of Jesus in Luke 11:17, we must learn and understand the danger of division and divisiveness for it leads to desolation and destruction.  Whether it is a family or an organization or a team or a church, etc. unity is essential for success. I believe it was from Dr. John Maxwell that I first heard the concept that “working together precedes winning together.”  For years it has been said team stands for together each accomplishes more.  The military tells us there has to be unity in the unit!

    Without going into a full discipleship lesson on unity it is worth considering one of the root causes of division which is pride.   Notice just a couple of verses:
    Proverbs 16:18  Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
    Proverbs 13:10  By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.

    As I deal with conflicts I ask the question, “Who is displaying pride?”   Who wants to have it their way?  You probably can think of a time that someone brought division to a team because of their pride.  And you probably can think of a time that you brought division to a team because of your pride.  

    In working to bring about unity there are a couple of quotes I like to use.  Dr. Maxwell taught the 101% rule saying find the 1% you do agree on and give that 100%.  I am not sure if he got this from studying Philippians 4:2. In Philippians 4:2 Paul implored “Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”   The 1% was they were both in the Lord so they now needed to give 100% to both being in the Lord.  

    We are all different and we have differences, and we have differences of opinions.  What we must guard against is allowing those differences to divide us, Let us focus more on what we have in common than what is different. 

    Know the danger of division for it leads to desolation and destruction.

    Continue Strong seeking unity in whatever unit you are in!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • We Bow And Worship

    Revelation 11:16 “And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,”

    What a scene in heaven as the 24 elders fall on their faces and they worship God.  Their actions are a great clue to the answer to the question of what will we be doing in heaven. From this verse and many others, we will be worshiping and singing and praising God as we cry out worthy is the Lamb. 

    Some of the other verses are:
    Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” 9  Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10  the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

    Revelation 5:12  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!”

    Revelation 5:14  Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

    Revelation 7:11  All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12  saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

    Revelation 19:4  And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

    I trust you have daily times where you fall to your knees, maybe on your face, and worship, crying out worthy is the Lamb!

    Continue Strong worshiping the Lamb of God
    And remember to DATE The Word