uncertainty

The Matthew Effect

“For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” – Matthew 25:29 Do you live by faith or live out of fear? Jesus tells us a story about a great businessman in Matthew Chapter 25 that will shine some light on this question. A man gives money to his servants and instructs them to build and multiply the investment while he is out of town on business. Upon his return, he is expecting to receive an increase. He gave the first servant (in present-day value) $5 million, and this investment became $10 million or a 100 percent return. He gave the second servant $2 million and received $4 million in return. In sociology, this is called the Matthew Effect, taken from the parable of Jesus which paraphrased states, “For those who have much

September 9, 2022 No Comments

A Snowball Effect

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5 Yesterday, we talked about how the Lord uses pangs of discomfort to help us see that He’s birthing change in our midst. That said, when we feel like something new is on the horizon, it’s important not to let uncertainty cause us to stagnate. When we said “yes” to Jesus and were born again, a cataclysmic event took place that set our existence on a whole new course — one that finds us constantly in motion. God makes the ball of our lives roll forward, and as we abide in Him, He renews our spirits and consistently moves us to places where we’ll bear the most fruit. Knowing this, we’re wise to keep up with the pace He

October 21, 2021 No Comments

A Behind-the-Scenes Savior

“In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’” – John 5:17 Unfortunately, a lot of us Christians are myopic or nearsighted. In other words, we get so wrapped up in our daily circumstances that we forget we serve a Savior who is constantly working behind the scenes. God is infinite, and He has the ultimate “big-picture” perspective, but our minds are finite and only able to conceive of situations in linear time. That said, it’s important to remember that when life seems to be “closing in on us,” what we’re perceiving is only a microscopic blip on the radar of eternity. We can’t begin to conceive of how masterfully and marvelously everything fits together from His standpoint, but we can train ourselves to acknowledge the wonder that it does. No matter how uncertain or daunting

October 17, 2021 No Comments

Divine Deliverance

“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.” – 2 Chronicles 20:22,23 I love how the Lord always exceeds our expectations. We saw yesterday that Jehoshaphat and the Judean army set out to face a trio of rogue nations in a posture of worship. Having heard from the Holy Spirit that they would be granted victory over their enemies — something that seemed humanly impossible — they confidently took God at His Word, and boy, did He show up! Because ancient troops were like desert raiders who had the traits of pirates or Vikings, they were rough and

October 10, 2021 No Comments

Praise Precedes Victory

“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.’” – 2 Chronicles 20:21 After Jahaziel prophesied that Judah would win over the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mt. Seir, King Jehoshaphat and his troops marched into war. However, instead of going entrenched in gear and combat strategy, they moved toward their enemies worshipping the Lord. So certain were they that God would make good on His promise to deliver them that they were confident enough to thank Him before it happened. And while we tend to think of conflict and struggle as solemn, the truth is that our greatest battles are often won from a posture of joyful praise. No matter how dire things look, the

October 9, 2021 2 Comments

Ask the Right Question

“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.” – Job 22:21 Have you ever felt like things were finally starting to go your way when you were met with an unexpected crisis? Perhaps you tried for years to overcome an addiction, lose weight, land the perfect job, or start a business, and you made progress, only to encounter something that tempted you to “throw in the towel.” To all who can relate to this scenario, I want to say that you’re not alone, and it’s important not to give up. The truth is that when our aspirations and goals are being attacked, there’s always a reason, and it’s critical to ask the right question. Rather than bemoaning circumstances and hopping on the “train to complain,” God invites us to pray for His perspective and ask Him what He is doing in

October 2, 2021 2 Comments

A Kingdom Perspective

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 I know this verse is familiar, and that’s good, because it’s really important, especially in the times in which we’re living. After watching the world be turned upside down by an unexpected pandemic and witnessing the instability and heartache it’s caused on many levels, a lot of us have been forced to embrace a paradigm shift. Much of what we’ve put our hope in for a long time has been removed, and the Lord has peeled back the layers of worldly security that we unknowingly held on to. In the absence of certainty in the areas of health, freedom, and finances, we’ve come face-to-face with not knowing what the future holds — and my prayer is that it’s driven us straight to the heart of God. You see,

September 25, 2021 2 Comments

At Home with Jesus

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” – 2 Corinthians 5:1 A friend of mine sent me a video, and as is usual these days, it started with a commercial. The first shot was of a man and woman in their mid-thirties staring at a screen with saxophone music playing in the background, and it had a kind of salacious feel. When it came on, I was wondering if it was going to be appropriate, but it turns out it was an ad for Zillow, and the couple was drooling over houses they might buy if they lived somewhere more affordable. While to some, purchasing a home does not seem like a fantasy, to those of us who live in locations like California or New York, it can

September 3, 2021 No Comments

Stand Therefore

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” – Ephesians 6:13,14 (NKJV) Yesterday, we talked about maintaining a prayerful posture in the midst of the challenging times in which we’re living. Yet even as we regularly turn our hearts to Jesus, I think many of us feel like we want to do more. And though I’m certain the Lord is revealing new assignments to some in this season, I believe that consistency is the key that unlocks influence in the midst of instability. While leadership sometimes demands blazing a trail, in the current climate, it may just as well be defined by staying the course and being faithful moment by moment. The prize goes to those who don’t quit, and in these uncertain days, remaining anchored in God’s sufficiency is what

September 1, 2021 No Comments

Heavenly Groanings

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” – Romans 8:26,27 There sure is a lot going on these days. When we look at our world, including the recent violence in Afghanistan, some major natural disasters, and the continuing impact of the COVID-19 virus, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. And while our hearts should be heavy for the state of this hurting sphere, my hope is that our grief leads us to a place of prayer. Our Lord has given us the privilege of sharing in the sufferings of others by coming before His throne any time of the day or

August 31, 2021 No Comments

The Matthew Effect

A Snowball Effect

A Behind-the-Scenes Savior

Divine Deliverance

Praise Precedes Victory

Ask the Right Question

A Kingdom Perspective

At Home with Jesus

Stand Therefore

Heavenly Groanings

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