I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest. – John 12:24, Amplified Bible It is possible to… Continue reading It’s time for you to be like a grain of wheat.
Month: May 2013
Have the faith of a potato farmer.
…For those who honor Me I will honor… – 1 Samuel 2:30, Amplified Bible Some years ago I heard a challenging parable of two farmers. I don’t remember where I heard it or who originated it, but it goes something like this. Two farmers were staring disaster in the face as their farms languished in… Continue reading Have the faith of a potato farmer.
God would rather you not rebuild Jericho.
In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho… – 1 Kings 16:34, Amplified Bible Merriam-Webster.com defines the word “stronghold” as a “a fortified place” or “a place of security or survival.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold) The word “fortification” is derived from the Latin words fortis, or “strong,” and facere, or “to make.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stronghold) So, the intent of a… Continue reading God would rather you not rebuild Jericho.
Be happy and glad-hearted at all times.
Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always). – 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Amplified Bible From the most fragile blade of grass to the most brilliant star in the sky, all things share the same fate: death. Some things dies more slowly than others, but all things in this universe will face… Continue reading Be happy and glad-hearted at all times.
Watch those itching ears. They’ll get you into trouble.
…I hate him, for he never prophesies good for me, but evil. – 1 Kings 22:8, Amplified Bible Years ago we had a missionary visit our church who told us about one of the many interesting plane rides he had experienced in his career. During the flight he was seated next to a man from… Continue reading Watch those itching ears. They’ll get you into trouble.
God will be there to encourage you in your darkest hour.
…for the journey is too great for you. – 1 Kings 19:7, Amplified Bible Be on your guard after a great spiritual victory, for it is immediately following a great spiritual triumph that you are most susceptible to falling into the darkness of despair. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah experienced his greatest spiritual victory. In… Continue reading God will be there to encourage you in your darkest hour.
Here’s the plan to avoid the famine.
For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not waste away or the bottle of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. – 1 Kings 17:14, Amplified Bible In Matthew 6:33, Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God, and all… Continue reading Here’s the plan to avoid the famine.
As a man thinks, so is he.
…thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed… – Leviticus 19:19, KJV In his audio recording The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale provides a perfect illustration of how the human mind works. Nightingale likens the mind to a field that a farmer plants. The mind, like the field, will return what the farmer plants. It… Continue reading As a man thinks, so is he.
Be sure to listen to God, not another Christian.
And the man of God said to the king…For I was commanded by the word of the Lord… – 1 Kings 13:8-9, Amplified Bible In 1 Kings 13 an unnamed prophet of God met Jeroboam, King of Israel, at Bethel to chastise him for turning his back on The Lord. As part of the chastisement,… Continue reading Be sure to listen to God, not another Christian.
Get the job done, whether you feel like it or not.
And being in an agony [of mind], He prayed [all the] more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground. – Luke 22:44, Amplified Bible Children learn a lot of things by watching their parents, and one of the biggest lessons I learned watching my mother… Continue reading Get the job done, whether you feel like it or not.