Reaping what you Sow

(Prov 13:20 NIrV) Hard times chase those who are sinful. But success is the reward of those who do right.

This morning we continue our series, In this verse Solomon compares the hard life of the sinner with the successful life of the believer. I know that those are ‘broad brush’ terms, but the principles of the Bible support what Solomon is saying.

While we can all find examples of bad things happening to good people and vice-versa, at the end of the day, our decisions and actions will catch up with us. The New Living Translation makes it plain. It reads:

“Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous.”

If you really want to see the two options – the benefits of walking with God and the perils of walking without him – truly ‘fleshed out,’ all you have to do is read Deuteronomy chapter 28. The chapter opens up with Moses saying,

“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all His commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will…”

and he then goes on to lay out 14 verses of promises of both secular and spiritual blessings. In verse 15 Moses said,

“But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you…”

And he proceeded to lay out 53 verses of both secular and spiritual curses. He spent more than three times the amount of verses explaining the curse than the blessing. Why go to such great lengths? I believe it is because the Father wants us to know that our decisions matter. Our life is a grand-sum-total of our decisions.

Back in the 11th chapter Solomon said, “If good people are rewarded here on this earth, all who are cruel and mean will surely be punished.” You can’t have reward without judgment. Our actions are constantly being judged.

God created a system of laws and principles – sowing and reaping, cause and effect, and the free will of humans – that govern the earth.
So, not only WILL we all be judged eventually (ultimate judgment), but our actions are also being judged regularly and we either reap blessing or cursing accordingly. Read the Bible carefully and it will not take you long to realize that most of God’s promises are conditional.

If we fulfill the condition, we receive the reward. If we don’t, we miss out. That’s why I often say, “If you don’t like the harvest you are reaping, check the seed you are sowing.” At the end of the day, we are where we are, because of the decisions we make. This means we cannot blame God and we should not blame others.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia he said, “Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up” (Gal 6:7-9).
So what does this mean to you ? This is a message of encouragement for the believer who was becoming weary in doing right. Don’t give up. Don’t get frustrated. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t quit. While it may look like some of the unrighteous are getting ahead, don’t overly concern yourself with that. Pray for their souls and keep your focus on Your heavenly Father and your walk with Him. He will see to it that you reap what you sow, so keep sowing good seed. Keep walking upright before Him.

At just the right time you WILL reap a harvest of blessing – if you don’t give up!

Father, I thank You for helping me to keep my focus on You, Your goodness, Your loving-kindness and Your tender mercy. I know that I will reap what I sow and I also know that others will as well. I pray for those that You lead me to pray for and I seek to run my race with confidence, courage, and commitment. I thank You for helping me to develop a NO QUIT attitude and because I refuse to quit, and I am determined to sow the right seed, I will experience the success and victory You desire for me to experience! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

See Your Dreams Come True



(Prov 13:19 NLT) It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.



This morning we continue our series, yesterday we dealt with making course corrections and we learned that a correction is the act of bringing back from error or deviation; that which is intended to rectify or cure faults. While we may not all enjoy being corrected, we should definitely welcome Godly correction, so that we can stay on His desired path, with the goal of arriving at his desired destination for our lives.



This morning Solomon talks to us about dreams and how we all love it when dreams come true. Dreams are powerful. Harriet Tubman, the woman who was known as the Moses of her people, said: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." She accomplished what was unfathomable to most, because it was possible to her, because she had a dream and she determined to put the time, energy and effort behind the dream required to see it come to pass.

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.


It's awesome to dream. I love to do it. I like to take the time - every once in a while - to see myself in the future. I imagine myself doing what I believe the Lord has called me to do and it helps fuel my fire, drive and passion for the present. But I don't fool myself. I know that if the dream is ever going to come to pass, I must make the decisions and put forth the action, in the present, to take me incrementally closer to its reality. Simply put, dreams will not come to pass by accident. We must operate with purpose and focus if we ever want to see in our hands, what God has birthed in our hearts.



This is a good reminder this morning because most of us have the tendency to put our lives on autopilot. We believe we know where we are going, fully expecting to arrive someday. This technique sounds good and it could work if our path was free of obstacles and detours. The problem is that our path is never without resistance.



Even subtle changes, if unchecked, can get us severely off course.


That's' why Solomon warns us about refusing to turn from evil. Make no mistake. Just like we serve a real God, there is a real satan and he will do all that he can to get us off course. He does not want to see the manifestation of our dreams. He does not want to see God's best come to pass in our lives. So he will his best to distract and divert us from the path to our dreams. Solomon teaches us that if we refuse to turn from evil, we are fools and we WILL NOT see the manifestation of God's dreams in our lives.

So what does this mean to you? It means that self-denial, which fools refuse to endure, is essential to success. If you are going to arrive at God's desired end for your life, you are going to have to do it ON PURPOSE; not haphazardly. I will close with the words of Henry David Thoreau (author and poet). He said, "I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Father, I thank You for putting dreams down inside of me. Like Joseph, I am a dreamer and my dreams drives me. And like Joseph, I refuse to allow sin to derail me from Your course. I know that if I am going to see the manifestation of Your dreams I am going to have to operate on purpose and with focus, so I declare, right now, by faith, that I have the grace, the drive and the dedication to resist satan and his many attempts to get me off course. I deny satan and self on the road to Your best. I confidently advance in the direction of my dreams and I meet with uncommon success, in exceptional time, because I am walking with You and I refuse to get off course! In Jesus' name. Amen!

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

This morning we continue our series We live in a society today that is straying away from standards. Instead of calling right "right" and wrong "wrong," there is a tendency to accept anything and everything.

This desire for acceptance may be dangerously driving us from the benefits of correction. We all need correction and criticism if we are to develop into the men and women God desires for us to be. Simply put, we cannot maximize our purpose and potential without the input of others.

I saw a report not too long ago that some communities have decided to stop keep score during T-Ball games for little boys, because they don't want some of the kids to be the "losers." Instead of having winners and losers, they just want everyone to enjoy the fact that they participated.

I believe this mentality is being instituted by adults who don't like to be compared or corrected. I often hear people at work say, "We need to treat everyone the same," or "You can't show any favoritism." There is a difference between favoritism and reward.

Those that separate themselves from the pack should be rewarded accordingly, but they can't be rewarded if the system refuses to analyze, criticize, compare and correct them.

This is dangerous, because God, through Solomon, is clear that we need criticism and correction. Let's look at the definitions of these words from Noah Webster's American dictionary of the English Language (1828). This version is often very different from our modern versions.

Criticism: The act of judging on the merit of a performance; remark on the beauties and faults; critical observation.

Correction: The act of bringing back from error or deviation, to a just standard, as to truth, rectitude, justice or propriety; that which is intended to rectify or cure faults; all scripture is profitable for correction (2nd Tim 3); withhold not correction from a child (Prov 23); in scriptural language, whatever tends to correct the moral conduct, and bring back from error or sin; My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor be weary of His correction (Prov 3).

Webster references Paul's words to Timothy. Let me give you the rest of it:
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work." (2nd Tim 3:16,17).

Without correction, we would all go astray. Earlier in Proverbs Solomon said: "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid" (12:1). Solomon was quite possibly the wisest human to ever live, outside of Jesus. But even Solomon made mistakes. Not even Solomon could get around the fact that he needed correction. Godly corrections are purposeful and very necessary. None of us are perfect. As believers, who are striving to truly grow, we must welcome correction and not fight against it. Solomon calls those that do "stupid."

Solomon's warning is clear. If you reject criticism and correction, it will lead to "poverty and disgrace." Many have wrecked their lives by refusing to accept the counsel of those God sent to correct them. So as you enter this day, determine to be a F.A.T. Christian; meaning: Faithful, Available, and Teachable.

Father, I thank You for correcting to me through Your Word, Your Spirit and others. I need correction and criticism. I need to be brought back from error and deviation. All of us, like sheep, go astray, but I declare, by faith, that I will welcome, accept and apply the correction You provide for me. I shall not end up in poverty and disgrace. I will be honored in life as I seek to maximize my purpose and potential before I die! I want to die empty and I know that I cannot without your correction. Thank You for loving me enough to tell me when I am wrong and for getting me back on Your desired path for my life! In Jesus' name. Amen!

The Importance of Prayer

(Mat 6:6 NLT) But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

I take a pause this Friday morning to share a quick not about the importance of prayer. This has been heavy in my heart. While prayer is quite possibly the most important activity a believer can do, it is also the something that mystifies and frustrates many believers.

For this morning I simply want to share a short poem I memorized many years ago, about prayer, that has been a reminder to me that I need to pray daily and continually. The author is anonymous, but the message is powerful. It’s called “The Difference.”

The Difference

I got up one morning,
And I rushed right into the day,
I had so much to accomplish,
That I did not have time to pray.

As the day went on,
Heavier came each task,
I said, “Lord, why don’t you help me?”
He said, “Child, you didn’t ask.”

Hour upon hour,
The day toiled on gray and bleak,
I said, “Lord, why don’t you help me?”
He said, “daughter you didn’t seek.”

Finally, I tried to come into God’s presence,
I used all my keys at the lock,
I said, “Lord, why don’t you let me in?’
He said, “Only because you didn’t knock.”

So I got up this morning,
And I paused before entering the day,
Because I had so much to accomplish,
That I HAD to take time to PRAY!

The Difference!

Instead of closing with a prayer today, I ask you to simply take a few moments to pray. Pray over your workplace, your schedule, all the things you need to do today, every divine appointment the Father wants for you, your family, and yourself.

Are you a Reliable Representative?

(Prov 13:17 GNB) Unreliable messengers cause trouble, but those who can be trusted bring peace.

This morning we continue our series In Solomon's day, a king had to rely on messengers to get information out about his kingdom. He did not have television, radio, the internet, a Facebook page, Twitter, or any of the modern media vehicles through which to share information. Furthermore, he did not have a telephone or a video teleconference suite to be able speak directly with foreign heads of state.

I know this may seem archaic to us today, but Solomon actually had to use messengers to get his strategic message out and to serve as negotiators for his kingdom. Obviously, the reliance upon these messengers made the selection of them vitally important.

They had to be absolutely trustworthy. Inaccurate information could lead to bloodshed. If a messenger allowed his emotions to get the best of him, while negotiating with a foreign head of state, the results could be disastrous for both nations. Solomon needed to know that when he sent a messenger out with a message that the messenger would both reliably relay the message and responsibly represent the spirit in which it was sent.

The King James Version reads: “A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.” The word ambassador is fitting here. An ambassador is sent to represent his parent nation within a host nation. The role of the ambassador is to establish relationships within the host nation, while maintaining his integrity and loyalty to his parent nation.

When communication is sent from the parent nation, the ambassador is to communicate that information, no matter how pleasant or objectionable it might be. Additionally, the ambassador is to represent that information, as if it were his own, whether he agrees with it or not. The ambassador cannot allow his personal opinion to disrupt or dilute the message of the parent nation.

So what does this mean to you ? Why is this important? It is important because the same holds true for you. You may not hold the title, “Ambassador,” but you may be asked to serve as representative regularly. Both in the ministry and in the marketplace, having the ability to represent your leadership is sought-after quality.

Let’s talk marketplace first. At work, leaders are always looking for reliable people they can trust to represent their organization in dealings with external organizations. Leaders need to know that you will be faithful to relay the message you are asked to relay and to represent the character and spirit of your organization. If you prove yourself trustworthy, you will be asked to do more and God will be able to use you in greater ways.

Remember, God did not save you from a burning hell just so you can sing songs on Sunday. He wants you to grow where you have been planted – wherever that may be. He wants to bless the work of your hands, so that you can move up and have greater influence. The greater your influence, the more He can use you to do in the marketplace. He called us to GO, not to WAIT.

Most Christians are waiting for unbelievers to come to church, but God sent us to GO, to infiltrate, to make a difference in the world, not just the church. This leads me to the ministry side of it. From a ministry perspective, you are actually called an “Ambassador for Christ” (2nd Cor 5:20).

The Father needs to know that you can be trusted to share the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. Once He knows that you can, He will setup divine appointments for you.

Are you ready and capable to represent God today? Can He trust you to relay His message? If so, get ready for some divine appointments!

Father, I declare, by faith, that I will represent both You and my secular leadership in a trustworthy fashion today and every day. I prove myself to be reliable and responsible. I share what I am expected to share and I refuse to allow my emotions or personal opinions to detract, dilute, or disrespect the spirit of the message I am asked to communicate. I am not a messenger who causes trouble, I am an ambassador who brings and maintains peace. I am a peacemaker and not a peace-breaker. Use me Father for Your glory! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Slow Down

(Prov 13:16 NLT) Wise people think before they act; fools don't—and even brag about their foolishness.

This morning we continue our series. In this verse Solomon contrasts the wisdom of taking the time to think before you act and the foolishness that is often the result of haste. This is a tough one for our modern society. Humans today don’t like waiting for anything or slowing down at all. We get up early, go to sleep late, and try to accomplish way too much in between.

Most of us have “To Do” lists with no end in sight and our calendars are full of meetings, phone conferences, decisions that have to be made, actions that have to be done, places we need to go, and people we need to see.

Further, our desks and inboxes are full of things we need to read and when we look at it all, in addition to making sure we have time for our faith, family, and fitness, it can all seem overwhelming; which is why most Americans are always hustling and bustling. This ‘need for speed’ lends itself to a microwave society and a microwave mentality.

Everything has to be done fast, so we often sacrifice quality for quickness.

Solomon ran a successful nation with a surplus economy. He knew a thing or two about getting things done and his wisdom to us is to slow down long enough to think before we speak or act. He makes it clear that fools don’t and while none of us want to be a fool, if we would be honest, we sometimes act like fools when we don’t give issues the proper time they need.

It’s my observation that most people today are not thinkers. Many don’t even like to think. They are so accustomed to rushing through their day that they don’t give any one thing the courtesy of careful thought.

Let me give you an example. Were I work we have some major challenges we have to think through. To address the issues we routinely pull a group of people together, we sit by a whiteboard, and we think through the challenges; which often requires brainstorming, freethinking, and the occasional off-the-wall idea. But sometimes, while we are holding these sessions, someone comes by, sees what we are doing, and then says something like, “You just think too much for me.” That’s sad.

God has blessed us with mental ability, but most of us don’t take the time to use it. We are so driven to get things done that we don’t realize that we can actually get more done, in a more quality fashion, if we slowed down long enough to think.

Matthew Henry, when commenting on this verse, said: “It is wisdom to be cautious. Every prudent discreet man does all with knowledge (considering with himself and consulting with others)… careful not to meddle with that which he has not some knowledge of, not to launch out into business which he has not acquainted himself with, will not deal with those that he has not some knowledge of, whether they may be confided in. He is still dealing in knowledge, that he may increase the stock he has. It is folly to be rash, as the fool is, who is forward to talk of things he knows nothing of and undertake that which he is no way fit for, and so lays open his folly and makes himself ridiculous.”

So what does this mean? It simply means that you should slow down long enough to think things through. I am not saying that you should not act, just that you should not act without careful thought. Once you have the knowledge you should act with fearless confidence. Andrew Jackson said, “Take time to be deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”

Father, thank You for blessing me with a brain. I declare, right now, by faith, that I have the mental ability to think through all the challenges I will face today. I operate with both education and revelation. I use my mind and I am led of Your Spirit. Together, I am more than equipped to be successful in every area of my life. As I enter this day I declare that my mind is alert and sharp, my body is awake and ready, and I can face this day with fearless confidence; knowing that by Your grace I will succeed! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Two Ways

(Prov 13:15 NIV) Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

This morning we continue our series. In this verse Solomon contrasts two ways (or paths). Let's take a closer look at each. I chose the New International Version for our focus text. It calls the first way the way of "Good understanding," which is able to gain us favor; and the second, "The way of the unfaithful," which is simply hard.

The Message Bible calls the first way: the way of sound thinking, that makes for gracious living; while the second is: the way of liars, which leads you down a rough road. The New Living Translation says that the first way is for people with good sense and it leads to respect, while the second way is reserved for treacherous people and it leads them to destruction. If that were not clear enough, I looked at this verse in the original Hebrew and looked up the definitions of the words used. The word used to describe the first way is also translated: wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, discretion, prudence, sense, and understanding. The word used to describe the benefits of walking in this way is also translated: grace, pleasant, precious, and well favored. The word used to describe the second way is also translated: deceitful, transgressor, offender, and treacherous. And the word used to describe the results of walking in this way is also translated: rough, strong, and difficult. By this point you may be thinking? " why are you telling me all of this? Why are you looking at so much background on this on verse?" Well, for two reasons:

1) Because I want to be accurate, and

2) Because I want to be clear.

When you look at what God (through Solomon) has said to us here, the message becomes vividly clear that there are two options in life. You can either walk with God or without Him. You can either choose to accept Jesus as your Lord or you can reject Him.

There are really no other choices and you will reap either the reward or the peril of whatever you choose. The first way, the path that includes God, is a way full of His wisdom, revelation, understanding, and insight; and this way is wonderful. It leads to a blessed life. God does not only want you to make it to heaven, but He wants you to enjoy the ride. When you walk in His wisdom you open yourself up to His benefits. But the second way is also available and many choose to walk down it. This path excludes God and it is a path that is hard, difficult, and extremely challenging. So what does this mean to you? It means you must make your choice. You can either choose the path that includes God or the one that excludes Him. Both paths include challenges. I would love to tell you that the path with God is free from obstacles, but I would be lying. The difference, however, is that when you face those challenges WITH God, WITH His insight, wisdom, revelation and understanding, you are able to come out on top every time!

However, on the path without God you face challenges as well, but you don't have the benefit of His grace. So choose God today. I mean really choose Him. Choose to face every day with His Spirit as your guide, His Word as your foundation, and His wisdom as the ruler by which you judge every decision.

If you do that you will experience the grace and favor God and you will enjoy every day of your life, as you make your journey from earth to glory, from labor to reward, from time to eternity! Father, thank You for making both paths vividly clear through Your Word. There is no mistake about it, I have two paths available to me, but I declare, right now, that I make my choice. I choose life and blessing, not death and cursing.

I choose Your path Father. I enter every day with the blessed benefits of Your wisdom, insight, revelation and understanding. I am led by Your Spirit and governed by Your Word. I have accepted Jesus as my Lord. I am on my way to heaven and I am determined to enjoy the ride. No matter what I face, I know that I do not face it alone. I face every challenge head-on, by faith, and with the confidence to know that I will come out on top! In Jesus' name. Amen!