Surviving or Thriving?

Remember the King of Nebuchadbezzar?
He made a huge hold image that was 90feet high and told everybody they had to now down and worship it at the sound of the band.

Three young men refused to now down because they would only worship the living God.

Their mentality is remarkable because they are above circumstances. God is able to rescue them 'but even if not' they will still remain true to God.

Such faith is tested in the fire! God can rescue but what is our faith if He doesn't?

These 3 young men come out of the fire and they not only survive, but there is no smell of smoke on them at all. You can't even tell they were in the fire!

Life is full of incredible challenges and we must ask the question - 'Am I Surviving or Thriving?'

A good days work!

God cares about honesty in the work place; your business is His business. Prov 16:11
It is good to be driven but what if your driven to success at any cost.
What if we drive straight over others to get there, leaving a glistening wake of destruction that proves where we have been!

God is also interested in our journey today, as well as our destination.

I know our society role models cutting corners and running red lights and driving faster than we should but we are in danger of infringements of the soul.

How many points would you lose today if you were caught by the honesty police?

God is interested in everything we do today.

Deceptive Deals

Have you ever been taken for a ride?
Been tricked into what seems a good deal only to fine out later it was a deceptive deal?

This happened to the Israelites with a group of people called the Gibeonites, who offered a shonky deal! - now they were stuck with them!

Josh 9:14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.

This entire situation would have been avoided if Israel simply inquired of the Lord and got His direction.

How many times do we find ourselves in undesirable situations that could have been avoided?
All we need to do is inquire of the Lord.

He will speak to us.

What's in a Name?

Integrity is required at every level in every season. Integrity helps to build a good reputation. These are the things that determine what's in your name!

Josh 7:8-9 'Oh Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies?
The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe wipe out our name from the earth.
What then will you do for your own great name?'

Israel went to war against Ai and lost because of the way they handled the previous battle.

When I break integrity, I dishonour my own name and then also dishonour the name over me - and Jesus has the name above every name!

Thank God for His grace and the power of His Name.

We have a name to live up to, aspire to, and bring glory to. All mistakes are swallowed up by His majesty
Love and forgiveness - that's what's in His Name!

His name (Jesus) makes me want to be a better man!

Close

The closer I seem to get to knowing God the further I realise I have to go!

Job said 'oh how I long for the days gone by when I was in my prime and God's intimate friendship blessed my house'. And that was before God blessed the latter part of his life.

He knew God more later than before!

Tomorrow has new possibilities and God is committed to deeper friendship!

Generosity

Ex 25:1-2
The Lord said to Moses, 'Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering from each man whose heart prompts him to give.'

1. Is your generosity willing or able?
Its great to be in a position to have the ability to give.
To see a need and be able to easily meet it.
But we can be so able that it requires no willingness!

If we have the willingness to give we will make a way to give.
In fact, the NT says 'if the willingness is there the gift is acceptable...'

2. Is your generosity investment or free?
To give as a way of investment is to seek a return.
To give freely is to let the receiver set the parameters.

When we give do we secretly expect it to be used with certain parameters?
How much jurisdiction do we hold over a gift we have given?

The greatest gift is a free gift from a willing heart!

3. Is your generosity spontaneous or planned?
Its good to plan what you are going to give and even budget to ensure you will have the means to do so but is there any room for spontaneity?
It is possible to even budget to be spontaneous.
Planned is when I am ready to do so. Things I put my attention to.
Spontaneous are the things I could never have been ready for because they arrested my attention!
Spontaneous is the needy person I was confronted with as I turned a corner.

4. Is your generosity growing or exhausted?
The only way to give more than you do now is to earn more than to do now.
Most would see this only as getting a better job with more pay but a farmer would never exhaust all his seed.
Some would be eaten, some would be given away but some would be planted again to get another harvest.
Are you exhausting your wealth or growng it - even a little?

5. Is your generosity enthusiastic or tired?
Generosity is an action not just a thought process. Because its active, it can get tiring.
Anything done without purpose is tiring!
Often when you understand why, you are invigorated.
Meaning gives enthusiasm a reason!

From Egypt the Israelites could have been in the promised land within two weeks. But God took them the long way because Ex 13:17 'if they face war they might change their minds and go back to Egypt'.

Now, the reason God delivered them out of Egypt was because they cried out for years about their harsh treatment.
They were slaves to the Egyptians but God said 'if they face war (with what is holding them) they might change their minds and return to Egypt (slavery)'

How is it that we can hate the things that hold us, yet when confronted with them headon, we give into them - again?