Faith like a seed

When a seed is planted into the ground, everything that surrounds it contradicts what it really desires or needs, which is moisture and light. 

The earth entombs it in darkness. In other words, it is buried alive apparently with no hope, or so it seems.

Do YOU have something in common with a seed? Are you entombed in circumstances, which appear to contradict what you desire or need?

Seeds are not known for their great intellects in fact they have no mind at all; however, something deep inside of them drives them towards exactly what to do. 

They refuse to give up no matter what stands in their way. They push out roots seeking for the moisture that they need.

At the same time, they relentlessly press their stems upward in search of light. Something instinctively on their insides tells them exactly what to do. 

The earth that surrounds them resists their every effort; however, they press forward constantly refusing to give up. 

Moment by moment day after day their progress is almost immeasurable; however, as if through their will to live, a plant is ultimately born.

Did you know that all of life is birthed from seeds? Whether it’s plant, mammal, fish, insect, or mankind, a seed is the ultimate starting point of all life. 

Could it be that even seeds too have a marvelous directional inward instinct that presses it towards the right way to go?

It might just be a good thing that seeds are not known for their great intellects. If they were, they might come up with a lot of reasons for giving up because of the impossible odds. 

That’s one thing that you, and I have to guard against. Allowing our intellects to take over and drown out what our instincts are actually telling us to do or not to do. 

What exactly does a seed’s instinct tell it? Probably it communicates just with an impression. Like keep pushing your roots DOWN and not up, OR keep pushing your stem UP and not down. Take a RIGHT around this rock (obstacle), and not a left. Keep pressing FORWARD today for tomorrow you’ll find your way out. 

It doesn’t tell them to do the same thing with every obstacle. Remember YOUR instinct (conscience or heart) doesn’t get too wordy.

Unlike seeds, people’s minds shout out to them telling them to give up because of what they hear or see. A seed doesn’t have to deal with that kind of problem. 

Your mind may be shouting at you telling you to quit because it’s so hard. Don’t give up, but listen to what your heart is telling you. It’s telling you to keep doing it right, and you’ll eventually make it through. 

Remember not all seeds make it to daylight. Those who don’t persevere - die. Apparently, the same cost awaits us if we give up before moisture and light.

Although goals and strategies are important, don’t forget about your inward directional instinct, which is also know as your heart or conscience. It is the Holy Spirit's tool that He uses to speak to you. 

Listen to WHATEVER He is telling you no matter how unpleasant that might be. 

It’s a great thing to get all the facts; however, you must remember to tune OUT all the distractions, and tune IN to what exactly He is telling you. 

He’s probably telling you to press on for one more day no matter what opposes you. Don’t give up. Be like a seed.

M. H. Dennis 

When God is speaking, why don't we listen?

Genesis 12:1-5  

1. I must learn to listen to God. 

I must identify His voice. 

This requires attentive listening. 

2. I must obey God's voice to continue to hear His voice. 

Every act of obedience will build my Faith. (Abraham did not seek God when he went to Egypt, and picked up Hagar). 

3. I must depend upon God. 

(Abraham believed God to get him to Canaan, but he did not believe God during famine by going to Egypt). 

4. I must learn to wait on God for his timing. 

The more talented a person is. The greater that they will want to handle it. Stop. Watch. Wait. 

If I am to know God, I must wait upon God. (Hagar was a gift to Abraham while he was in Egypt). 

If I don't wait, I get what I can do. If I wait, I get what God can do. 

5. I must acknowledge my Faith failures to God and learn from them. 

When Abraham learned to listen to God, He obeyed God immediately. He was willing to sacrifice Isaac to God, and believed God for his resurrection. 

In the critical moments in our lives if we are not listening to God, we will spend a lifetime regretting it.

(Charles Stanley)

Field of Dreams

1. The law of harvest is that what you sow, you will reap. In addition, how much you sow is how much you will reap. (Gal. 6:6-7)

2. The law of dissimulation is that you must sow if you want to reap. If you sow love, you reap love. If you sow strife, you reap strife. 

What you sow into your children, you'll reap out of your children. Your character is the harvest of your habits.

3. The law of anticipation is that you reap later than you sow. If we persevere, we reap if we don't give up. (2 Cor. 6:9).

4. The law of multiplication is that we reap more than we sow. Sow if you want to be rich. 

Grasp if you want to be poor. If a farmer eats all his corn during the famine, he will have no crop. 

There is a risk to sow to experience the harvest. If you regard the wind, you will not sow.

The law of cultivation is that you must cultivate your own heart. We reap what others have sown. 

Your sin always comes out. Repentance connects the dots between sowing and reaping.(John 4:37-38) 

The father of an act is a thought. 

Sow a thought. 

Reap an act. 

Sow an act. 

Reap a habit. 

Sow a habit. 

Reap a character. 

Sow a character. 

Reap a destiny.

(from notes taken from Terry Herald and Jimmy Jackson)

Who's on First?

Who is really in charge of your life? To act outside of Jesus' lordship is a sin. 

Even after we surrender the lordship of our lives to Jesus, we continue to struggle with Him over the control of our lives.

We must be sure that Jesus remains Lord. Jesus willingly came to earth. 

We too must want to obey. 

Remember that forced obedience is disobedience. 

Is Jesus your Lord, really? 

That one decision settles the possessions issue.

If Jesus is Lord, He is Lord of your stuff. 

How can we ask God for provision when we disobey Him by stealing from Him. Ask what do you want done with your stuff, Lord? 

Whoever or whatever is #1 in your life is your Lord. 

Whoever is #1 determines where you go, what you read, and what you look at.

It settles the provision issue. God does not give us what we need from our prospective, but from His. 

God stretches past our comfort zone into the unknown to reach people.

We are not to focus on our provision but on our mission.

Sometimes we confuse God's will with our will.

Asking for things outside of God's plan will harm our faith when God refuses to answer.

God's will can only be discerned by what God has said in His Word and the Holy Spirit.

(notes from Jimmy Jackson)

Stepping Across the invisible line

Do you believe that God is real? 

Can you trust Him? 

Can He trust you? 

Our faith is based upon the character of God. 

It is based upon what God has told us about Himself in the Bible.

Doubting anyone questions the character and motives of the other person. 

Don't doubt God when He relates to you from what He knows is good for you.  

Don't depend on what you think is good for you from your limited vantage point.

Sin creates a barrier that hinders God's presence. If we habitually sin, God chooses not to hear us. (Is. 59:1,2) 

Sin numbs us to the Holy Spirit. (I Tim. 4:2) 

When a person denies the commands of God, he is denying the God of the commands.

Sin is to step across an invisible line, which God has drawn. 

Sin is an act of rebellion against God.

Rebellion is the same as the occult.

Rationalism does not excuse rebellion, but it just attempts to cover it up. 

Don't focus on what God is not doing, but what I am doing or not doing that is hindering God's work. 

It takes humility to admit to God that your problems are more than you can handle. (read Proverbs 3:34) 

God wants our best, and He is so wise that He knows what is best. 

That's where trust comes in. 

When we pray, our motive is to speak with God and not to impress others. 

Prayer is the surrendering of our will to God's will, so that God may act.

Persist in prayer, and keep a record of when the prayer is answered.

(notes from Jimmy Jackson)

The Prayer that God Prospers

Text: Matthew 6:9-15 (HCSB)9 "Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
1. Our: The first step in prayer should be our approach WITH our Lord Jesus Christ(and the Holy Spirit) to our Father, and not just by ourselves. 

Notice that Jesus starts with the word “Our”, which means praying with Jesus(and the Holy Spirit)to God our Father for ourselves and other believers. (Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:26). 

Jesus taught us that the relationship that He has with His Father is ours too even in prayer! (John 17:23, Romans 8:29, I John 3:1-2). 

Before you make a request, ask yourself is this something Jesus will pray with me to God our Father in His own best interest? 

If not, don’t be surprised that your prayer is not answered.

2. Father: In Jesus’ second step in prayer, He taught us to direct prayer to our Father, God. 

Moments earlier in Matthew 5:16 Jesus introduced us to a revolutionary concept that God is actually our Father, which is a relational name. 

In prayer, we don’t first address what He is - God, or who He is - LORD, but to whom we belong – our Father.

3. Heaven: Although God is our Father, God still rules over us in sovereignty from His throne in heaven (Matthew 5:34), and our 3rd step in prayer is to yield to Him in everything. Since God’s viewpoint is from Heaven, we must yield to His perspective for He sees from the beginning to the end. (Matthew 6:33)
Your name be honored as holy.

1. Name: Our first and top request in prayer is the protection of God’s reputation or His name. 

God’s name represents all He is and represents. 

No problem or personal desire should be exalted above His name. (Philippians 2:10-11) 

Not only does God’s name communicate who He is, but identifies what belongs to him - us. (Revelation 14:1)

When we pray in Jesus' name, we pray what Jesus would, and does pray with us for His benefit(John 16:26).

2. Honor: Since God is our Father, my behavior and God’s reputation is intrinsically linked together. 

Any additional requests that would damage this linkage will and should be cancelled because it would damage God’s holy reputation. (Revelation 1:8, Matthew 5:16)

3. Holy: The name of God should be considered precious (holy) like fine China. 

It should only be used in the right occasion and manner. (Exodus 20:7) 

Utmost respect should always be used when addressing or using God’s name. 

Understanding the value of God’s name (s) holds the key to answered prayer. (John 16:23, John 6:35, John 8:12, John 9:58, John 10:7,11, John 14:6) 

Learn to match a name of God to your need while making requests in prayer.
Your kingdom come.

1. Kingdom: As our second request in prayer, the advancement of God’s Kingdom is to remain foremost. 

Kingdom is rooted in two words, which means King’s dominion. (Matthew 12:28) 

As we pray, we should ask our Father to reveal areas of our lives that are not under his dominion or submitted to His rule. 

Ask Him to reveal to you opportunities to advance His kingdom into the hearts and lives of others.

In addition, since we are in Christ, we pray from our position in Christ who is heaven from His vantage point. 

We pray from heaven's perspective not earth's. Not the other way around (Colossians 3: 1-3).  

2. Come: As we pray, we should realize that God’s Kingdom is constantly being resisted by Satan’s Kingdom. We are commanded to invite His participation in this struggle. (Matthew 12:26, Ephesians 6:12)

Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

1. Will: Our third request is "Father, what command of yours or principle for application am I missing?" 

Please bring to my attention what I should be doing that I’m not? (John 16:7-14) 

Please answer my requests from your vantage point not mine? 

Remember, we find God’s will in His Word not by outward circumstances. 

Ask what is God’s will in heaven to help you to better understand what to pray on earth. 

Because Jesus taught us to pray this, we should understand that God’s will isn’t being done on earth as it is in heaven, but we invite for it to be. (Lamentations 3:33) 

We don’t determine God’s will by circumstance.

2. Earth: Jesus not only taught us that Heaven is God’s throne, but earth is actually God’s footstool (Matthew 5:34-35). 

When we bend our knee to God on earth, we are actually putting our knee upon the footstool of God’s throne. 

To visualize, what Jesus is actually refering to review Isaiah 6:1-4.
Give us today our daily bread.

1. Give: Our fourth request is for God to provide for our needs. 

Notice Jesus didn’t require us to pray “if it be thy will for bread”. Jesus said to be simple and direct for real needs. 

Ask and expect to receive. (Matthew 7:7). 

If we’ve correctly prayed up to this point, we will receive. If we do what God says and put Him first, He will grant our requests. (Matthew 6:33, John 14:21)

2. Today: Jesus taught us to ask for today’s needs. We are told to focus on living righteously today, and God has committed to us provision (Matthew 6:33-34). 

It is interesting that God already knows our needs; however, He still commands us to ask. (Matthew 6:8) 

God waits upon our requests and will not even force His blessings upon us.

Finally, Jesus commanded us to not lay up things for ourselves on earth, but to store up blessing in heaven to be retrieved later in prayer in times of need. (Matthew 6:19-21)

3. Bread: Jesus taught us to request for needs – bread. Not steaks and lobster, but bread. Everything else that God provides for us is over the top.

12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

1. Forgive: We unlock (or lock) God’s forgiveness on earth by forgiving others. (Matthew 18:18-35) 

As an act of our will, we forgive, so God will forgive, too. 

Therefore, God’s forgiveness is conditional.

2. Debts: We are to acknowledge that all that we have actually belongs to God, and He is merely letting us use it. 

We owe Him. 

Thank him for all He does for you including His forgiveness. (Luke 14:33)
13 And do not bring (lead) us into temptation,

1. Lead: Jesus is leading us “if” we follow. (John 10:4-5) 

This is a request for God to direct our path based upon his knowledge of our weaknesses. (I Corinthians 10:13) 

It’s interesting that Jesus even commands us to request God’s wisdom for our path. 

God won’t even force His wisdom upon us. (James 1:5) 

God provides for us by directing our actions as we yield to Him moment by moment as an act of our will.

2. Temptation: It also pleases God for us to overcome temptation (Revelation 12:3); however, our temptations do not come from God, but from within from our own selfish desires. (James 1:13-15)

but deliver us from the evil one.

1. Deliver: Although God is sovereign, He exercises His protection only upon request.

2. Evil One: Satan is not able to destroy everyone; therefore, he is looking for victims. (See I Peter 5:8) 

God’s sovereignty must be continually yielded too for His assistance. 

(Psalm 91:1, John 15:9-10)[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.] 
14 "For if you forgive people their wrong doing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don't forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.

1. Prayer starts and ends with God’s sovereignty, assistance, and reputation. 

Prayer is not about changing God, but changing us. 

Putting ourselves into a position that God can bless us.

2. Jesus ends with this warning - forgive, which reminds us of Matthew 6:12. This must be really important.

3. MSG "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others.

Some excerpts taken from Adrian Rodgers.

Inner calm is the intercom to God's voice

I will look to see what He will say to me. (Hab. 2:1c NIV) God's voice is usually visual. 

An idea in your mind. If you know the right channel, you can tune into pictures on your TV. 

God too speaks to us with mental pictures in our mind. 

It's not weird. 

In Psalm Asaph said, "Until I entered the sanctuary of God. 

Then I saw the whole picture: the slippery road you've put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions (Psalm 73:16:17 MSG)."

Satan does not counterfeit something that does not exist. 

Has anyone attempted to counterfeit a $4 bill? 

They can't because it doesn't exist.

Biblical mediation is mediating on God and His word. 

Satanic mediating is mediating on something other than God.

To see pictures,you must calm your mind down. 

You do this by calming your body down.

Take 3 or 4 deep breaths. 

Blow out slowly. 

Clear your mind, so that you can listen.

God talks to those who take the time to listen.

Habakkuk climbed a tower and stood at His guard post just listening. 

Then, he told God his concerns and waited for God's response(Habakkuk 2:1).

Moses said that you can find God if you will just search for Him with all your heart and soul (Deut. 4:29).

Remember prayer is not a monolog. 

The purpose of prayer is not the acquisition of things, but to tune your heart to the voice of God. 

Pause to hear God's voice. Pauses are normal in any conversation.

Inner calm is the intercom to God's voice within your heart. Take time to listen to God. 

God didn't put you on earth for Him to just check off your to do list.

(notes taken from Rick Warren)

Pencil in your prayers

Start writing you’re prayers down.

When you write them down you are praying them, when you read them you are praying them, and when you speak them you are praying them.

This is called journaling, and is what David is doing in much of the Book of Psalm.

People love to read journals, and learn from your mistakes. 

The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory. 

Take a yellow piece of paper. Draw a line down the middle.

On one side put what you said to God, and on the other side put what God said to you. 

Or... on one side put the prayer request and on the other side put the date the prayer was answered.

This will build your faith. (Rick Warren)

The Value of a Soul

God was in the process of replicating many sons and daughters into the image of His son, Jesus. (Romans 8:29) 

Now that’s something to ponder.  

The value of a soul being made into God’s image, and what lengths God  went through to do it. 

Knowing beforehand the pros and cons of His decision to make it happen. 

Even though God abhors just one soul spending eternity in hell. 

(2 Peter 3:9) 

He would create mankind. 

Allow them to fall. 

Then, send His Son to save them. 

Finally, He would allow most of mankind to spend eternity in hell just to reproduce Himself inside the few that would allow it. 

It makes us very appreciative of our own salvation. It makes us willing to go to any lengths to offer the message of hope to anyone. 

(Adrian Rodgers)

God's Right Hand

If I am in a barrel in the Mississippi River, I too am in the Mississippi River. 

If I am in Christ and Christ is at the right hand of God, then I too am at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-3).

In Luke 7:1-10, Jesus marveled at the centurion's statement. 

Then, I should pay close attention to what the centurion said. 

My amount of authority is determined by whose authority I am under.

(I John 4:17) As He (Christ) is in the world, so are we in the world. 

I am united with Jesus in His death, resurrection, and ascension. 

If Satan and demons are subject to Jesus, they are subject to me. (I Peter 3:22) 

Since Jesus has all authority, His authority has to be obeyed.

If you never know the restraint of the Holy Spirit, you will never know the force of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 4:11)

Jesus was subject to the Holy Spirit, the Father, and civil authorities. 

If Jesus was subject to authority, who are we not to be subject to authority.

Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the enemy. (Read John 17:4, Luke 2:51, Matt. 17:27, Luke 10:17-18, Heb. 2:8, 2 Peter 1:3, Romans 8:22-23) 

Even the devils are subject to us in Jesus' name.

Kingdom authority must be appropriated by faith. We must be right with God to have it. 

We must pray from our position in Christ, which is from heaven to earth. 

Also, we are to speak what God has done in our lives (Rev. 12:11).

To be saved, we must surrender to Christ, which puts Him in control.

Commitment allows us to stay in control. 

However, we must surrender complete control to have kingdom authority.

In addition, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, which is a legal seal for the transfer of property to God. 

We are owned by Christ. No man can break this agreement. 

(I Cor. 6:19, Eph. 1:13-14) (notes from Adrian Rodgers)

The Little Dictator

Don't dictate how and when God will answer your prayers.

A lack of faith is a moral problem. It is not you can't believe. It is that you will not believe. I can believe if I will believe.

Faith is in response to God Himself. It is based upon the character and person of whom we are trusting. (Romans 10:14,17)

If we rest in God's Word, we don't hurry, but we are resting in His promised future events. 

Psalms 37, Psalm 23, and notes from Adrian Rodgers)

Reaching a child's heart

1. Bring your kid's friends into your home.

2. Guard your kid's friendships.

3. Don't put off a child who asks why.

4. Correct consistency.

5. The child must learn that he or she is not his or her own moral authority.

6. When you spank, use a neutral object.

7. Only spank as a last resort A good spanking should last for several years.

8. If the child is still sullen, then you are not done with the spanking.

9.Do not do it angry.

10. Teach as you spank.

11. Pray with the child after the spanking asking God for forgiveness for the child.

12. Use creativity in training each individual child after their individual bent.

13. Use Bible games. Christian magazines. Compellingly. 

(Notes from Adrian Rodgers)