HOW TO DISCOVER GENUINE WISDOM

By:  D. Delay

Noted as the best-selling book of all time, the Holy Bible represents more than meets the eye. On the outside, it appears to be a thick manuscript. On the inside, the typically small print can seem overwhelming and certainly too much to read in one sitting. It’s pages can be read cover to cover, front to back, or in any given order. It’s a history book, a journal, a hymnal, and an instruction manual. Some call it a great work of literature; yet unlike other great works it has never been shelved and forgotten. Instead, the Bible has caught the heart of every new generation as if it were just released for the first time.

Why? Because God’s Word is living and powerful. It carries the wisdom of the ages, transcending all time elements and culture, always relevant to current mindsets and life-challenges.

We can read about two unwed mothers who gave birth to sons at the same time, in the same house. One child dies, the other lives. The mother of the dead son sneaks into the other woman’s room at night and switches the babies. At daylight, the woman whose child was taken examines the dead son and realizes he is not her son. The two of the them go before King Solomon arguing over whose son is alive. With such wisdom, the king orders the living child to be cut in two and divided between the mothers. Instantly, the true mother spoke up and said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.” (1 Kings 3:16-27)

Thousands of years ago, this story was recorded and kept in God’s Holy Word, some would say as an historical account of the wisdom of Solomon. But I say it is simply another example of the wisdom of God given to man. Maternal love is just as strong today as it was when Solomon made his judgment. Such wisdom!

And what about the writings of nature and parallels? “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep — so shall your poverty come upon you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:6-11)

Is this not still as true today as the day it was written? Culture and style may have changed over the centuries, but are the hearts and ways of man so different? I think not. And the author of this living epistle knew as much; He is also the Creator of mankind. His Word transcends time, breathing in and out as a living thing, “…exposing and sifting and judging the very thoughts and purposes of [man's] heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

So I ask, if this book we call the Bible carries wisdom for honest judgment, successful living, and matters of the heart, why do we question the spiritual parts? We are told His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:8). Is that not the very reason we need such wisdom? If we change our wisdom, everything else will change as well, for wisdom is simply the Word of God applied accurately. “Wisdom is the principle thing; Therefore get wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7-8)

God’s Word is a time-honored book, yet the world is full of doubters, haters, and the simple. And among the countless number of those who own a copy of this living manuscript, we find believers who are in Christ, yet His Word is not in them. “Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?” (Proverbs 8:1) Who is listening? Who is searching? Our God promises to “…give us the right words and such wisdom that none of our opponents will be able to reply or refute us.” (Luke 21:15) So to trust the wisdom found in God’s Word seems to be a matter of choice and faith. But I must add, in uncertain times, cut-throat practices, and an unstable economy, “…only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning!” (Proverbs 1:7b) |

HOW TO FIND YOUR DIVINE DESTINY?

By:  K. Hee

I remember many years ago when our church was going through a time of stagnation. Naturally, as the senior pastor, I was troubled. But the Lord gave me a promise. He said, “Kong, if you take the church out of the four walls of your little building and take my anointing into the streets, I will take you out of stagnation and you’ll experience growth like never before.”

That was a huge promise for me to believe and stand on because for years, we hardly had any growth. But in February 1996, I shared that word from God with the church, and together, we stepped out into our community with one basic goal: To find a need and meet it; To find a hurt and heal it.

We started showing the love of Christ to our friends, colleagues, family members and the people we met in our daily lives through the most practical ways, without any pressure to evangelize them to Christianity. In the same manner, we reached out to the poor and the disadvantaged. We cared for the sick, clinging to Jesus’ words, “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matt. 25:40).

Once we did that, the spiritual atmosphere in our church began to change. The people that were touched by our efforts became more open to the gospel message, leading to tremendous growth for the church. And as a congregation, we gained a clearer sense of destiny and purpose—to demonstrate the gospel of Jesus wherever we go in our individual lives, effectively impacting the people we meet daily with the practical love of Christ.

So if you want to discover your life’s purpose and destiny, make a decision today to be an ambassador of Christ!

Prayer for the day: 

Pray that as you demonstrate the love of God to others, He will show you your divine destiny!

FOUR (4) WAYS TO MODEL A LIVING SACRIFICE

By:  J. Maxwell

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  Mark 10:45

If a team doesn't reach its potential, ability is seldom the issue. It's rarely a matter of resources. It's almost always a payment issue. The team fails to reach its potential when it fails to pay the price.

If you lead a team, one of the difficult things you must do is convince your teammates to sacrifice for the good of the group. The more talented the team members, the more difficult it may be to convince them to put the team first.

Begin by modeling sacrifice. Show the team that you are willing to . . .

• Make financial sacrifices for the team.
• Keep growing for the sake of the team.
• Empower others for the sake of the team.
• Make difficult decisions for the sake of the team.

Once you have modeled a willingness to pay your own price for the potential of the team, you have the credibility to ask others to do the same. Then when you recognize sacrifices that teammates must make for the team, show them why and how to do it. Then praise their sacrifices greatly to their teammates.

HOW TO LET THE TOILING IN LIFE CEASE

By:   TFC 

“And Simon answered and said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”  (Luke 5:5KJV)

The Bible tells us that the multitude were so hungry to hear the Word of God that they pressed against Jesus. Being by the lake and seeing two boats, Jesus stepped into one of them and asked the owner, Simon Peter, to push the boat a little from the shore and He sat down and taught the people from inside the boat. When Jesus finished teaching, he turned to Simon Peter and told him to move into deeper waters and cast his net for a big catch of fish.

Peter and the other fishermen had been trying to catch fish all night with no success. Nevertheless, Peter obeyed Jesus’ instruction and just as He said, they caught so much fish that their nets broke and they had to call on their partners in the other boat to help them. The Bible says both boats were filled with fish.

Friend, according to the Bible, Peter and the other fishermen had toiled, that is, they had laboured, all night. The word toil connotes hard or exhausting work, to labor, to struggle. It also implies that they had grown weary and tired. But when Jesus came on the scene the toiling ceased. His Word and the obedience of Peter was all that was needed and there was a mighty yield.

You see, without Jesus, we will toil, labour and struggle and there will be no yield, no harvest and no results. Jesus is the only one that has the strategy, the plan, that we need for whatever we have to accomplish. Note that Peter and his partners were experienced fishermen yet they caught no fish. They needed Jesus to give them direction. So you may be experienced in what you do but until you allow the Master to show you the way and direct you it will be nothing but toiling.

The Amplified Bible says “The blessings of the Lord it makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it neither does toiling increase it.” (Proverbs 10:22 TAB). The Word of God also tells us that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). In other words, when we allow God to take His rightful place and direct us there will be no toiling or struggling because He who knows all things will reveal to us the strategy, the direction, that we need to accomplish every task with ease and with the assurance of success.  

Today, like Peter, may we receive the Master’s instruction(s) so that the toiling, labouring and struggling in our lives may cease. 

Prayer

Lord, whatever You say is true and that is why I can rely on You. Help me to be like Peter who obeyed Your Word and cast the net just as You said. Lord, I am tired of toiling and labouring without any results. I know it is only in You that my toiling will cease. Today, I purpose to say yes to Your will and to Your way so that the toiling and struggling in my life may cease. Thank you for answering this prayer in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

HOW TO AVOID THE DEADLY EFFECT OF CONFORMITY

By:  S. Heitzig

Once, some scientists did an experiment where they placed caterpillars head to tail, all around the rim of a clay pot. They watched as the caterpillars marched for days around the rim, each following the other--until they died. And this, despite the fact there was a plant in the pot that they could have consumed for nourishment!

That "follow the leader" conformity was deadly. But conforming to this world is deadly to our spiritual lives. The Bible tells us what God wants instead. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2).

God is calling us to make a practical presentation of ourselves to Him: "Here I am, God! I'm yours, totally and completely." This must be our lifestyle. Being a "living sacrifice" is tough, because we tend to want to squirm off the altar. But when your body is yielded to God, it is a base of operations for the Holy Spirit to work. That's why the Bible calls our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is full of wonderful examples of bodies yielded over to God. Sarah's barren womb was yielded to God, and she gave birth to the son of promise, Isaac. Moses told the Lord he was "slow of speech," but he yielded his voice to God and it became a powerful instrument, to utter the law to the nation. The shepherd hands of David vanquished the giant. Paul's feet carried him to the uttermost parts of the world to spread the Gospel.

"Reasonable service" means it must be a rational choice. That makes sense if you think of all God has given to you--His salvation, His peace, His mercy. You should want to commit your life to God because God has committed to you all the resources for life and godliness.

Verse 2 talks about transformation, changing the way we think about the values around us. It says, "Don't be conformed to this world." God is calling you to non-conformity. I love the way the Phillips translation puts it: "Don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold." One of the greatest fears people have is to be rejected by "the group," their peers…to be somehow different. That's why even some Christians conform to what the world thinks and how it behaves.

We will conform to one of two value systems--to that of God and His Word, or to that of this world. One of those two molds will shape us. But our thinking is to be renewed. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

The point is, God wants to touch the world through you. So you should break away from the crowd. Think His thoughts. Dare to be different. Dare to think, act, and live according to His truth!

Scripture Of The Day: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." - Romans 12:1 (NKJV)