God is love. He is just. He is merciful. God is also generous. In the Garden of Eden, God lavishly provided all man needed. There was no lack, no need unfulfilled. When David committed his most notorious sin – taking another man’s wife and ultimately having her husband killed – in God’s rebuke, He told David, “I have given you everything and if you had just asked, I would have...
Blessed!
Jesus was perfectly obedient. Because of Jesus’ obedience we stand before God holy and blameless because we are in Christ. When God sees us, He sees His son – the perfectly obedient lamb of God. This is important for us as new Christians because now we get to reap the benefits of Jesus’ perfect obedience. Deuteronomy 28 promised that if the children of Israel obeyed, these blessings would come upon...
Seed to Sow
Last year, I had the opportunity to go to India but the cost for me was prohibitive. However, I knew I was suppose to go. While I was considering how I would pay for it, I got an unexpected $150. I knew that was not designed for me to hold onto. It was seed to sow. So I donated it towards some friends who were going on a missions trip...
No Lack
I grew up in a culture where if you were good, God may give you want you needed – no more, no less. But as I have grown older and have develop a personal relationship with God, I have found Him to be a generous Father who loves to lavish His children with gifts. From Genesis to Revelation, God is good! Now, even with that revelation, it does not prevent...
Preach the Gospel
Since returning from India, I have often meditated on the exchange between Jesus and John the Baptist. When asked if He were the Messiah, Jesus said, “Tell him what you see – the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the poor has the gospel preached to them. He did not say that the poor was fed or clothed, or sheltered. The remedy for the poor was the gospel. Two questions:...
Trust not Judge
It’s easy to read the story of Israelites and judge their behavior. After they had seen how God delivered them from bondage, then allowed them to plunder their enemies, parted an entire sea, and destroyed their enemies how could they possibly not trust God? How could they possibly not trust His faithfulness, His goodness? How could they moan, groan, and complain? It’s easy to judge until I take a look...
The God Who Sees To It
Has God called you to do something and you are hesitant because of your lack? Perhaps you don’t feel qualified. Or maybe the finances are daunting. What is preventing you from stepping out in faith? Abraham was asked to make the ultimate sacrifice, his son of promise. As he climbed that mountain to give it all away, I wonder if he tried to reason how God would keep His promise....
The Promise of Abraham
Blessed to be a blessing. That it is who we are as Christians. As heirs, descendants of Abraham we have been given much to bless many. Earlier this week I prayed this prayer: “Lord, give me seed to sow.” I felt His response was, “I already have.” I thought He meant the gift card I had gotten a few days prior. So I set out to find someone to bless....
Unlimited
At church yesterday, my pastor shared his vision of remodeling our worship center. I wander what our reactions would have been like if he suggested that the doors were to be overlaid with gold, lampstands and communion cups made of pure gold? Probably would not have gone over well. The extravagance of the temple built by Solomon offends us all. Why? Because we cannot comprehend the vastness of God. We...
My True Source
There have been many political ads recently claiming that the average teacher salary is 50k a year. The ads are misleading at best, a lie at worse. In the last four years, new teachers have lost the ability to earn tenure, be compensated for getting their masters, and lost their longevity pay (a yearly bonus for years of service.) Those are the facts. But the truth is God will supply...