All posts tagged: wisdom

7 Tested Ways to develop Endurance

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For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ NLT Some of the greatest athletes of our time, never would have made it without a certain level of endurance. Not only physical, but also, as we have seen in recent years, mental toughness. Some of our heroes and heroes of faith would never have made it, had it not been for a certain level of tenacity, spiritual endurance developed along the way. Endurance is like a muscle.  It grows with a proper use of exercise or training and it shrinks for the lack of the same. Endurance is not only “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity, but it is also the ability to improve. It is not a matter of if our faith will come under immense testing and trial, but a matter of when. During these times, there are seven thing we can do to keep our edge and win in the battle.  Look with …

A prayer for clarity

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My Story It was December 28 2014 at about 8:15, just a week or so ago – I stood up in church and prayed a simple prayer: “Lord I need clarity and wisdom to deal with certain situations I have been dealing with. I am not asking for you to wet a fleece or dry it. I trust that you will speak in a way that I can understand. Thank you for showing me what to do, in Jesus’ name Amen!” I went home and didn’t think about it again until He spoke to me. The way he spoke was so clear I didn’t have struggle to understand what he was telling me to do. Every prayer offered in faith is answered by a faithful God. At this time of the year, all of us are faced with the challenge of decision making. Business decisions, Ministry decisions, family budgets, career change, is it the right time to buy a car or a house. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions! I would like to urge you quiet your soul, …

What’s in God’s Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth?

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What’s there in the Bible? It is a dangerous question. We might do better not to come too near this burning bush. For we are sure to betray what is—behind us! The Bible gives to every man and every era such answers to your questions as they deserve. We shall always find in it as much as we seek and no more: high and divine content if it is high and divine content that we seek transitory and “historical” content, if transitory and “historical” content that we seek Nothing whatever, if it is nothing whatever that we seek. The hungry are satisfied by it, and to the satisfied it is surfeiting before they have opened it. The question, “What is in the Bible?” has a mortifying way of converting itself into the opposing question, “Well, what are you looking for, and who are you, pray, who make bold to look?” (Karl Barth, “The strange new world in the Bible.” Cited from Gregory Alan Thornburry) So, what’s in God’s Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth? What might …

11 things I tell Seniors in my Church

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At one time in my church, there was no one under 50 years old. Last January, I told a couple of women in my church that my mother just turned 75 and they were  like – “oh my word, she’s very young.” I love seniors, they are fun to hang out with. You learn a lot from them. Their wisdom, and strength rub off just by hanging with them. But other times they can come across as being too set in their ways. Here are 11 things I usually tell them: The internet/ technology/ social media is not of the devil Yes! The internet is sometimes used for great evil but it can also be used for great good. It all depends who’s using it and for what purpose. So, learn how to use it and use it for uplifting and educational purposes. The world has always been evil Sometimes when seniors talk about the evil in the world, it almost sounds like things were not that bad back in the day. There has always been wars and …

Who do you lean on for Counsel?

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Who do you first turn to for advice? The operating word is “First.” Who do you heavily lean on for support and counsel when all hell breaks loose in your life? There are three ways people err when it comes to getting help during the most difficult times of there lives: 1. They lean to heavily on their own understanding. These guys have it all figure out. They do not acknowledge God or others in all their ways – especially in difficult times. It’s not that they are too proud to go to God or seek advice – they simply believe in their own ability to handle every situation that comes their way. 2. They lean too heavily on mentors. These guys don’t necessarily think about it. They have a problem and they must speak to someone to fix the problem. They are wired in such a way that picking up the phone to confide in someone is a natural instinct. 3. They lean solely on Jesus. These guys strongly believe only Jesus can help …

The Tale of Four cities

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It had finally reached the ears of all the nobles of the people of the ends of the earth. The word on the street was not very different, but the official version was short and sweet: “Across the great waters is a land of great learning and enlightenment. Anyone with enough courage to brave the great waters would find the secrets of life, depth of knowledge and heavenly wisdom that only comes from the Wisdom God.” The decision was final, the nobles had decided, Yakobo will be the first one to take the Journey. Unfortunately, an important piece of the information did not reach the ears of the nobles of the people of the ends of the earth. Across the great waters there were three other cities competing for the allegiance of anyone brave enough to travel over the great waters. In each of these cities there was a powerful force strong enough to captivate the allegiance of anyone. The name of the city where the Wisdom God dwelled was ILLUMINOS The name of the first …

5 Ways to use your tax return

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About a week ago we got our tax return in the mail. And every day for the past week, my wife has told me, “Walter we got to talk.” Well, she is right, last year we didn’t talk and the money vanished into thin air. In other words, we spent it carelessly. So, this year, we are considering five options. We are complete in accord with the first one – which for us, is non-negotiable. But the other four, we are still talking about. Please allow me to use these five suggestion to get you thinking about how you are going to use your tax return. Use the 10 percent and over and above principle. If you’ve been faithful paying your tithe throughout the year, you don’t have to give 10 percent this time around on your tax return. If you have paid your tithe correctly, on the gross and not the net, than you really don’t have to give 10 percent, you’re covered. However, there is the over and above principle. That means, you …

Don’t Toot your own Horn

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Take heed that you do not your give alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does:  That your alms may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret himself shall reward thee openly. When it come to bragging or boasting about our accomplishments or achievements, some people have a hard time reining it in. Because of that lack of self-control they come across as proud, boastful and obnoxious. I understand that there is usually tension, especially for professionals, between selling oneself and humility. To be frank, even people who find themselves on church staff or on staff at other christian organizations, struggle with the tension between humility and standing out. But whatever situation you find yourself, the biblical principle of humility still stands. …

Will you be an April Fool for Christ?

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Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who …