Develop a Tree mentality!

                                                       
                                       A Palm tree near a beach (*)

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;  (Psalms 92:12-14) (**)

                        Do you have a tree mentality? You should. As I read these verses, I did a research on the Palm and the Cedar tree of Lebanon. Both are unique in their characteristics and it speaks to us today. The Palm tree, when it is planted in the desert, it reaches deep into the ground for water. 

Did you know that in some places, the desert has water underneath? Parts of Israel were desert until the Jews came into the land.(Psalms 35:1-2 NIV) (1) They developed tremendous technology to irrigate the waters from the desert to transform it into an oasis. Likewise, when we are in a "desert", we can reach down deep into the Spirit-man and water ourselves with the joy of the Lord! As we do that, circumstances will change and we will see miracles happen. 

A  point to remember is that these trees (Cedar and Palm trees) in Psalms 92:12-14 were planted in the courts of the Lord. The word says to come into his courts with praise. (Ps 100:4) No matter how intense your testing may be---Praise him! He will turn your testing into a testimony. Now, let's look at the Cedar tree in Lebanon and it's characteristics. I want to emphasis two main points. First, it grows upward symbolizing spiritual growth. 

The second point is that it would last up to 1,000 years. Let's be real, unless we are living in the Millennium, we will not last 1,000 years. This symbolizes the legacy of our impact for Christ. What impact will you leave your loved ones, community or even your nation that will last 1,000 years? Folks, it is time to develop a tree mentality. Even our Lord Jesus is compared to a tree of life! So, bearing this in mind, let's apply these principles in our lives and move onto victory. God bless. 

(*) By Patrick Verdier, Free On Line Photos - Photo: http://www.folp.free.fr/Open.php?getTabSigIdeImg=1859Description: http://www.folp.free.fr/AddComment.php?getTabComIdeImg=1859, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68821 (Mr Verdier does not necessary support the contents of this blog.)
(**) Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com
(1) http://bibleanswerstodayblog.com/israel-makes-the-desert-fertile/ 

Interesting links---
(1) For a more detailed look at the Palm tree and Cedar of Lebanon,
check out this link. It contains great pictures and deeper thought....http://bit.ly/2c1v4vT
(2) Check out my latest book...http://www.prayerswithpower.com/
(3) http://literacybase.com/its-time-to-be-joyful/

A look at Biblical finances!

Money!, a photo by yomanimus on Flickr.

Special thanks for yomanimus for allowing his photo to be on my website!


MANY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS SUFFERING FROM FINANCIAL LACK !

As a minister, I have seen many Christians go thru financial lack. Lack of finances has strained relationships. They have broken up marriages. Many have winded up with health problems because of the lack of finances. I am burdened for these precious saints, and I wish that I could write a check to cover all of these needs, but I can't. I can, nonetheless, provide some thought on how to deal with testings in this area.

JESUS SUFFERED FROM FINANCIAL LACK!

Our Lord Jesus, believe it or not, suffered from financial lack. He was asked if he paid taxes. (Matt 17:24) The good thing about Jesus is that he knew where to get the money to pay his taxes. He told Peter to pull up the first fish, and there, he would find the money to, not only, pay his taxes but Peter's. (Matt 17:25-27)
Yes, there are times when the word says that men will give to our bosom if we give to the Lord. I agree with that and have seen it happen in my own life, but sometimes, we have to go get it. The word says the principal thing is Wisdom.(Prov 4:7) Wisdom is the first thing we should seek God for in prayer. Sometimes, our circumstances can, so, overwhelm us. When this happens, we need to take a deep breath and be calm. The next step is to start to seek the Lord for wisdom.

WHY THE TITHE?

Many Christians fail to see the importance of tithing. The Tithe is a commandment of the Lord. Many a Christian justify themselves and make excuses. They overlook this very important commandment. In Malachi, chapter 3, we see how God demands this act of obedience from his people.
I will take this a little further! Upon reading Malachi 3, you will find God saying that his people have robbed him in TITHES AND OFFERINGS! Not only is the tithe important, but the offering too. When you read the accounts in the Old Testament, God told his people not to come to him empty-handed! Let's establish one thing-Tithing is mandatory, but the amount of the offering is left up to the Believer. (II Cor 9:7)
Why give? So, that there may be money available to supply the needs of the church. Not only is the church responsible to support their Pastor and leadership, but to help others in need. Reading the book of Acts, we saw how the church had its needs supplied because the people gave liberally. Tradition says that the church was poor, but God's word says the opposite.
I know of a Pastor of a big church, who not only, helps his flock financially but has helped employ people of his own church creating businesses. The true church is supposed to be the answer, not the problem. Too many bad apples has misappropriated the churches funds and have given Christianity a bad name. Thank God that we still have honest and upright ministers that try to help others and make a difference.

STOP BLAMING GOD!

This may come as a shock to you, but stop blaming GOD!! He is not to blame for your problems. Who's to blame? First, ourselves. Sometimes, we confuse our feelings for God and wind up making the wrong decisions in life. For example, we see an ad promising a quick pathway to wealth. Then, we see how that company pressure us by saying that this is a limited time offer. We pray about it and charge the card without really hearing from God. Months have passed by. What happened to that promise of wealth? You have been duped and out of money!
The word of God says that all of God's promises are Yea and Amen. (II Cor. 1:20) God has given us precious, and wonderful promises to get us through the testings of life. Bear in mind Malachi 3, when he says that he will open the windows of heaven! They are ours, but we have to learn how to possess them. Are you possessing God's promises? God willing, we will do some more studying on this important subject.