Month: May 2020

(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichols’ book, “How to Change Your Destiny.”)

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested” (I Chronicles 4:9-10).

You should be thankful that you were not born in Old Testament days.  If your mama had a bad day, she was liable to give you a negative name that would follow you to your grave.  According to Strong’s Concordance the name Jabez comes from an unused root probably meaning to grieve; sorrowful.  Here is this precious little baby that has never done anything wrong.  He just came into this life and because his mother had a bad day, she named him “sorrowful.”  You know it is just hard to conceive that Jabez’s mother affected the rest of his life by giving him that name, all because it was not a happy time in her life.

A precious baby being named Sorrowful.  Can you imagine that?  You would think she would have wanted to name him: happy child or blessed child.  But, because things were difficult when Jabez was born, because she bore him with sorrow, she passed that sorrow on.

As Jabez grew up he had a decision to make.  Am I going to let my mother’s decision ruin the rest of my life? Did you know there are people whose entire life has been ruined by a decision made by someone else?  If that has been your experience, the Spirit of God is bringing you to a point of decision: Are you going to trust God with all your heart and believe what God said about you?  Are you going to see yourself from God’s point of view?  Are you going to let someone else’s negative mindset ruin your life?

As I look at the story of Jabez, I find it intriguing that the Bible says that he was more honorable than his brethren.  The Bible does not say why he was more honorable.  Perhaps it was because he rose above his situation and he prevailed.  Some people just roll over and play dead, but he made a decision to let God remake and remold his life.  He refused to live with bad luck ruling and ruining him.  He refused to stay down.  It is no disgrace to be down – it is a disgrace to stay down.  It is not a disgrace to fail – it is a disgrace to wallow in your failure.  Everyone has had setbacks.  Everyone has had failures somewhere in their lives.  Jabez is an example that we can overcome no matter what the circumstances.

Some people give you their success story but they do not tell you the whole story.  But here is a man that had a name that should have ruined the rest of his life.  Nobody would expect anything positive out of a man whose mother gave him the name, “Sorrowful.”  As I look at this story, I see a child who had a “bad” name, but one who made good decisions.

Life is a decision.  It is not where you were born.  It is not how you are born.  It is not the color of your skin.  It is not the education that you have acquired.  Life is a choice and you either choose to win, or you choose to lose.  I have faced these kinds of decisions over the years.  Thank God I made the choice years ago that I can be everything that God has called me to be.  There are many reasons why I should not be doing what I am doing today as a pastor of an international church. I am here today because I did not look at those reasons; I looked to the One that called me. My head said I could not do it.  I had a school teacher that said I could not do it; but I have discovered I can do what God called me to do. I can be what God called me to be.  I am not destined to mediocrity.  I am not destined to failure.  I discovered that I could change the path I was on through the help of God.

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

So many things happen in the world today.  Sometimes you wonder what it is going to take to wake people up.  We are facing some challenging days ahead.  We need to pray that Jesus will be glorified in these times.  I heard a story from a United States Marine cadet.  He went to chapel for the first time on his base, not knowing what he would find.  He told me that the chapel was full of young cadets praising and worshiping God.  He said, “When the service was over, we were all on our faces before God praying and crying out.”  Listen my friend, God is at work all over the world.  We need to just keep the switch of faith turned on.   I know the Word of God says that God “. . . is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Our most exciting days are yet to come.  I believe the church is being positioned for God’s glorious outpouring across the world.

The final thing that happened in John 11 is so simple; I had never noticed it before.  The Bible says, “. . . then many . . . believed.”  Many believed – that is what happens in every church service, every time you open the Bible or read a book like this.  “Many . . . believed . . . But some of them went their ways . . .” So many people leave a church service without really knowing what the preacher said.

Some just shuffle off down the freeway of life.  Folks, we need to hear from God every day.  We need to use our faith.  We need to stay excited and thrilled about the things of God.  We must press in with our faith as never before.  It is all by faith.  God help me not to be lazy in my faith.  I must press in for myself, my family, and my church.  We must press in.  The will of God is not going to happen because it is a good idea or because it has happened in the past.  It is going to happen because we keep our faith on the line.

Some of you have been through tough situations.  But I tell you this situation is not unto death, but it is unto the glory of God.  God’s going to receive the glory.  You can believe to see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

 

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

As you see God’s promise come to pass, know that all the glory must go to God.  I know the angels must weep when God does such wonderful things, but men start taking the glory.  Sometimes we forget Who it is all about.  It is all about glorifying Jesus.  Our songs, our praise, our worship, our giving, our preaching, and our teaching – it is not about me being glorified or you being glorified – it is about Jesus being glorified.

Jesus said, “. . . This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” (John 11:4). Every time I talk about what God has done for us, whether it is on an airplane, in a business meeting, or having casual conversation – I start speaking of what God has done for the church I pastor.  I can see it bringing nothing but glory to God.  God works everything out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). God is faithful!

I do not have a total understanding of everything, but I know God is faithful and He has a plan.  I know that all glory must go to God for every victory that we receive.  Jesus said that Lazarus’ sickness would not result in death. “. . . but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4).

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

Only believe!  Five times in this passage we find the words believe or believeth.  The Word of God tells us over and over again of the power of belief.  Fear not!  Believe only!  We believe God through faith.  It all starts and it all finishes with faith.  Everything we do that pleases God is by faith.  Our salvation is by faith.  The infilling of the Holy Spirit is by faith.  God supplies our needs by faith.  We pray in faith.  In fact, if you cannot do it in faith, you are just wasting your time.  You have a good marriage through faith, or you come to a better marriage through faith.  Household salvation is by faith.  It is all by faith.

You may be reading this right now saying, “Well, preacher, you have a lot going for you.”  Let me tell you, I could take you back to times in my life when I did not have one, single, solitary thing going for me except my faith in God.  When you find out that God is all you have left, you find out that God is all you need.  Take everything, but let me hold on to faith in God.  Let me hold onto believing God.  Belief is the hand of faith that gets a grip on the promise of God and will not let go.

If you are living by the opinions of others or what the news media says, then you do not know what to believe.  Every time you turn around there will be a different voice.  Faith lays hold of the promises of God and gets such a grip that it will not let go.  Eleazar in 2 Samuel 23:9-10 had such a grip on the sword that when the battle was over, his hand could not be pried from the sword.  Notice, the man had a strong grip, not a casual grip.  Until the battle was over, there was a grip that defied imagination.  No matter what comes, what voice says this or that, let the belief of our heart reach out and lay hold of the promises of God.  Believe that God is bigger than every dead circumstance and big enough to see us through.  Only believe!

It all starts and finishes with faith.  Jesus said in verse 15, “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.”  There is some strong meat here.  Jesus said, “I am glad . . . that I was not there.”  The first thing I want to do when a friend is in trouble is to be there.  I want to be there in tragedy.  I want to be there in a time of loss.  If it is possible, I would like to stay there, but Jesus said, “I am glad . . . that I was not there…” He was glad so that they would use their faith.  Sometimes, we get all wrapped up in our emotions and we forget to use our faith.  Faith is the best friend you will ever have.  Your earthly best friend may have had an off-day and talk you out of your faith.  When faith is your friend, get a lock on God’s promise and you will come through difficult circumstances on the high side of victory.

Some of the strongest faith people I have ever met in my life are in the pews of the church; they are not necessarily on the platform or on television. Some of these people are up in years and I hear the faith that comes out of their heart.  They are unheralded giants of faith, and you like them, need to hold onto your faith when you have nothing else to hold onto.  When you cannot see, your eyes must look beyond your dead situation and you must begin to see as God sees.  Hold on to that – it is so precious.  It will bring you through.