“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” (2 Cor. 2:14, NASV)

Life was very different when I was a kid

I grew up in a time where many still used ice boxes to keep their food cold during the summer. Everybody heated their homes with fire wood, cooked their meals on big wood stoves, and used outhouses (no indoor plumbing). We got our water from the creek – nothing was convenient back then. Doing things like bathing and laundry were major chores. Water had to be hauled, heated on the wood stove, and used carefully – it was a precious commodity!  Doing laundry was a complicated hard job and you had to set aside an entire day to it. There was no such thing as modern washing machines or indoor dryers. Clothes had to be hung outside on clotheslines and then brought in and ironed. We didn't have special laundry soaps or fabric softeners. There was no such thing as permanent press or easy care fabrics. And someone has called them “the good old days!” I remember those days as hard work days.

We now live in a wonderful age of many marvels of technology that most take for granted

We drive beautiful air conditioned vehicles in complete comfort with amazing entertainment systems and satellite controlled GPS systems. Homes have heating/cooling systems, hot water heaters, refrigerators, toasters, electric mixers, blenders, modern cooking ranges, microwaves and convection ovens. Much of our food is prepackaged and instant. We have big flat screen televisions, personal computers, the internet, and smart phones. Most of this was only a fantasy when I was a kid growing up in a log cabin in Alaska!

But wait! There’s much more to come!

Even though we've made many incredible  advances, there is so much more we haven't discovered yet as knowledge increases. The Bible predicted this would happen.

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." (Dan. 12:4 NASB)

We haven't even scratched the surface of what is possible.

New discoveries are happening every day. When God created the world all the raw materials for everything we presently enjoy was already available, but we didn't have the knowledge to use them. And more discoveries are on the way. Soon cars may all be driverless and we will get into driving pods and tell them where we want to go (we already give verbal commands to our GPS devices). Think of all the ramifications of that!

We need to use what God has given us to share the Gospel!

In the so called “old days” of doing business, it took us a long time to get some important information to a group of people. Back then we didn't have instant email, texting, social media or the internet, like we do today. We had to type our message with a typewriter onto a stencil, attach it to a hand-cranked duplicating machine, print the copies onto special paper, hand fold them, insert them into envelopes, lick them shut, address them (by hand or type), attach a first class stamp, and then bundle and take them to the post office. It always took us a day or two to get our monthly newsletter prepared and into the mail! Today, we can get the same information delivered to a selected group of people instantly!

The Gospel message can be sent to a group of people by anyone, even you!

With over 1 billion active Facebook users, the potential is amazing! What to share? Share your personal conversion story, or share how God has blessed you, or answered one of your prayers. Your personal testimony is unique to only you and could be a powerful witness of God’s grace and even change lives. Write it up and send it out to your family and friends. Many of them may share it or  “like” it, and then their friends will be able to see what God has done in your life. It could be powerful!

Here’s an easy way to organize your testimony

1. Share briefly what your life was like before receiving Christ (keep it short and factual).
2. Share how you received Christ (tell how you heard, what words you prayed.)
3. Share briefly what your life has been like since you've received Christ (how He has helped you, changes that have resulted).
4. Share a meaningful verse of Scripture to close with.

And you can depend on God to lead you “triumphantly in Christ to present the knowledge of Him in every place!” (2 Cor. 2:14)

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (Gen. 8:22 NIV)

I love Spring!

It's my favorite time of the year! It's when the first flowers like crocuses, daffodils and tulips appear in my yard after a long cold winter. And boy did we have a frozen, snowy winter this year! It's such a relief to see the weather turning warm again. Spring time is also when we get the gardens ready to receive fresh seeds. I have always been amazed at how something so small, like a flower seed, can have such a wonderful miracle trapped inside. When placed in a properly prepared flower bed, fertilized, and watered, beautiful flowers come fourth! Without fail. And so it has been since the day God created the earth. It's a huge promise!

There are three words found in “seedtime and harvest” – seed, time and harvest.

It takes all of them working together to produce any kind of crop.

• Seed: God provides seed for the sower, and He increases it!

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor. 9:10 NIV)

• Time: Whenever you plant anything, it involves time in two ways.

First, you must plant the seed at the right time. “The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.” (Prov. 10:5 ESV)

Secondly, you must wait for a period of time for it to grow.

“All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”

“There is a time for everything … a time to plant…” (Eccles. 3:1-2 NIVa&b)

• Harvest: You reap what you have planted on the day of harvest.

“A man reaps what he sows.” (Gal. 6:7b NIV).

And another huge blessing is that you get more than what you planted!

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matt. 13:8 NIV).

“I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14b NIV)

I decided to stop watching the main stream news!

That's because so very much of it is extremely negative, and it's filled with personal attacks against individuals of one political side or the other, rather than just reporting straight forward information and the facts. Those “reporters” begin with a “political position or viewpoint”, either left or right, and then cherry pick what the other side says, and then they spin it to “prove” their position. They ALL do it! And it's extremely difficult to watch any if it!

What should you as a Christian do about those in leadership, even if you disagree with them?

You pray for them! That's right! That’s what God’s Word tells us we must do!

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (1 Tim. 2:2-3 NKJV).

You are to pray, seek God’s face and turn from your wicked ways

It's interesting to note that God’s Word tells us that the answer to having a “healed land” is about God’s people, and what they must do, and it's not about our government leaders.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV)

God has the power to change the hearts of our leaders ...

… that is, If you obey and do what the Bible passage above says to do!

“In the LORD's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” (Prov. 21:1 NIV)

God establishes the governing authorities

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Rom. 13:1 NIV)

"That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:2-3 NKJV)

The wisdom of seagull eggs

When I was a teenager I spent a couple of summers with Joe Reddington, the “father of the Iditarod” in the Alaska wilderness. I learned how to live off the land by hunting, fishing and using the natural resources of Alaska. One of the things I learned to do from Joe, was how to collect seagull eggs wisely. He taught me to count the number of eggs in each nest. If there was only one egg in the nest, don't take it. If I do, the seagull may abandon the empty nest and lay no more eggs there. If there are three or more eggs in the nest, don't take any eggs because the seagull may have been sitting on them and there may be baby birds inside. But, if there are only two eggs in the nest, then take one and leave one, because the eggs will be fresh (no baby birds inside) and with one egg still in nest the seagull won't desert the nest and will continue to lay more eggs there. This is just one small example of how wisdom can help you do anything the right way, even when gathering seagull eggs!

The treasures of wisdom and knowledge

Wisdom and knowledge contain hidden treasures! Like any hidden treasures, however, you must first discover what they are, where they are hidden and finally, you have to dig for them!

What is wisdom and knowledge?

• Wisdom is defined in the dictionary as having: sagacity, intelligence, sense, shrewdness, astuteness, smartness, judiciousness, judgement, prudence, circumspection, logic, rationality, soundness and advisability! These words describe characteristics for achieving success in anything.

Here’s what the Bible says about wisdom

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 NIV). Notice that God’s wisdom is described in this passage as impartial and sincere! It will sincerely work for anyone who puts it to work doing anything that needs to be done.

• Knowledge is defined in the dictionary as facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. It is understanding, comprehension, grasp, command, mastery, expertise, skill, proficiency, accomplishment, adeptness, capacity, capability, and know-how. These words describe characteristics for achieving success in anything.

Here’s what the Bible says about knowledge 

“A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.” (Prov. 24:5

“For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit.” (2 Cor. 12:8 NIV)

How to get wisdom and knowledge

• Ask God who gives generously!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV)

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prob. 2:6 NIV)

• Seek it out and add to your learning

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” (Prov. 1:5 NIV)

“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.” (Psalm 119:66 NIV)

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” (Prov. 18:19 NIV)

 “Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” (2 Peter 3:17b NIV)

One night a little boy fell out of bed with a loud crash

His parents came running and said, “Johnny, why did you fall out of bed?” He said sleepily, “I must have stayed too close to where I got in.” Without realizing it, the little boy had placed his finger on a very important principle of the Christian life. We must not remain “too close to where we got in.” To remain strong in our faith, we must continue to grow in God's knowledge and grace. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18a NIV)

Things you can do to grow spiritually 

Set time aside to read the Bible, to pray, and attend a Bible believing, Bible teaching church where you can grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Get together regularly with some Christian brothers and sisters for Bible study and fellowship. These are basic things, but they really work because they are foundational.

If you do these things you will never fall!​

“Therefore rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall:.” (2 Pet. 1:10 NKJV)

God has a lifelong plan for us

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:6 NIV)

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14 NIV)

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2 NIV)

He gives more grace!

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6 NIV)

Saved through grace!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9 NIV)

God's throne of grace

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 NIV)

You are under grace and set free

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14 NIV)

Excel in this grace of giving!

“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Cor. 8:7 NIV)

He couldn't be silent about grace!

“I cannot be silent, and indeed I ought not to be, about the many blessings and the great grace which the Lord has deigned to bestow upon me.” – St. Patrick

“Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12 NIV)

The blessing of God’s divine favor is huge!

To be blessed with God’s favor is to be authenticated, authorized, certified, commissioned, confirmed, countersigned, deputized, designated, empowered, enabled, enfranchised, entitled, licensed, notarized, ordained, permitted, validated, and warranted by God’s grace!

Blessed in what you do

You obtain God’s blessings and favor by first, being adopted into God’s family (John 1:12), and secondly, by looking into the Word of God intently and doing what it says! “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25 NASB)

What it means to be blessed

When most people think of what it means to be blessed, they imagine it to be a life without difficulties or problems. But, that’s not correct. Problems visit everyone from time to time. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33). To be blessed is to have God’s presence and help in the midst of trouble or trials. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial.”  (James 1:12a NASB)

The blessed life of Joseph

A great example of what it means to “persevere under trial” and to be blessed with God’s favor, is the life of Joseph. (Gen. 37-50).

• He was blessed by his father – “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.” (Gen. 37:3 KJV
• He was sold into slavery and yet was  blessed  – “The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” (Gen. 39:2 NIV)
• He was sent to prison and yet blessed – “The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (Gen. 39:21 NIV)
• He was brought before Pharaoh and yet blessed – “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." (Gen. 41:39-40 NIV)
• He was blessed to be a blessing to others – “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (Gen. 45:4-7 NIV)

Our covenant is greater!

We have a better covenant in the New Testament than Joseph had in the Old Testament (Heb. 8:6). God was with Joseph and blessed him, but God is within us through His Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 3:16).

We are blessed!

• We are blessed with God’s family favor – “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Eph. 1:5 NLT)
• We are blessed with God’s grace and peace – “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Pet. 1:2 NIV)
• We are blessed with every spiritual  blessing – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3 NIV)
• We are blessed with all our needs met  – “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19 NIV)
• We are blessed to be a blessing to others – “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:11 ESV)

The unmerited favor of God

“Grace,” according to the dictionary, is the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. The word “grace” is used over 170 times in the New Testament alone. Grace is not bought. It is a free gift of almighty God to needy mankind.” – Dr. Billy Graham

“Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15 NASB)

My first chance to “testify for God”

Shortly after receiving Christ as my personal Savior, I went to an evening service at the small church the family I was living with attended. It was a brand new experience for me. I didn't know what they did at evening church services and was excited to find out. The family I was living with didn't attend this evening, so I was on my own. After singing a few hymns, the preacher invited people to come to the front and “testify for God”. Wow! That sounded so exciting. I had never heard of testifying for God before. I immediately assumed it meant you were supposed to do what they do in a courtroom. I had watched old TV shows like Perry Mason, where people were sworn in to “testify” and told to take the stand and “tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” So, I jumped up and volunteered to “testify for God!” The pastor called me to the front and handed me the microphone. He said, “Go to it Mike”, and I did! I looked over the people in the congregation and immediately recognized a few of them that I had seen recently at parties, bars, dances and nightclubs. And I started testifying about them. “There is Billy. He pretends to be a Christian, but he's not! He gets drunk on Friday nights and curses like a drunken sailer!” I went on, “And, Mary Lou, sitting three rows back in that red dress, is cheating on Charlie with some guy named Frank! And not only that, one of the ushers this evening, tells dirty jokes!” I pointed at him. “Then, there’s Betty, sitting next to Ted, she’s also at a lot of bars with different guys.”

People suddenly rose to their feet

People started shouting at me from the congregation. “Mike, who do you think you are!”, someone yelled! “Shut up and sit down!”, cried another. “How dare you accuse us of such things!”, said someone else. People from every part of the room were suddenly on their feet yelling at me all at once. Then they began to lurch forward like a lynch mob!

I ran out the door, jumped into my car and fled the scene!

I drove around for awhile thinking about all the people who were angry at me for testifying. I wondered if this was a normal reaction to testifying services. Or, if maybe I had misunderstood somehow and had gotten it all wrong. I now wished I hadn't been the first one to jump up and testify. Maybe I should have waited for a couple of others to testify first and then watched how they did it. Perhaps I would have known how to do it better when it was my turn to testify for God? I was totally confused. I drove home but didn't stop when I saw cars in our driveway, probably belonging to church people waiting for me to get home. I continued to drive around for hours until they had all left. Then I went home and found the family waiting up for me. They said, “Mike! Mike! Mike! What did you do?” “I testified for Jesus,” I said.

The pastor came to visit me

The pastor and I had a very long chat the next day. I told him what I had thought I was supposed to do last evening, and that everything I had said about people in the congregation was absolutely true, and that I was only trying to “testify for God.” He then explained to me what testifying for God was really about. He said, even though what I said may have been true, I shouldn’t have said it, especially in front of the entire church!

I was embarrassed!

I told the pastor I was very sorry for what I had done and promised to never show my face in his church again. But, he told me he wanted me to come back to the church. He said that he had been speaking with everyone involved personally, and they were now dealing with lots of “sinful behavior” they needed to take care of as a result of what I had done. And some good was coming out of it. He then pointed his finger at me and said, “But, don't you ever do that again!”

A gentle tongue is a tree of life!

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:10 ESV)

“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” (Prov. 15:4 ESV)

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 1:20 NKJV)

There are many thousands of promises throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and all of them are “yes” and paid for by Jesus. But, that doesn’t mean they will necessarily work for you. Here are some reasons why they may be stopped.

• Double mindedness will stop them

You must not doubt but you must ask with complete assurance. For if you doubt, you become double minded and the promises won't work for you.

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 2:6-8 NKJV)

• Not mixing them with faith will stop them

The promises are all faith activated and they won't work without faith!

“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Heb. 4:2 NKJV)

• Religious tradition will stop them

Throughout Africa, millions attend massive healing rallies held by German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, and many are miraculously healed at the events . Yet, attempts to see similar results at USA events held by Bonnke don't show the same results. When asked to explain, Bonnke says that folks in Africa come to His events in faith, expecting to be healed, and folks in America come to them with skepticism and steeped in negative religeus traditions. It's similar to Jesus not being able to perform many miracles in His home town because of the little faith He found there. (Mark. 6:6)

“Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”  (Mark. 7:13 NKJV)

Therefore….

If you want God's promises to work for you, you must believe them totally without being double minded; If the Word of God says it, it must be settled in your mind, period! You don't allow religious dogma or traditions of men (we’ve never done it that way and we’ve always done it this  way) deter you, but you take the Word of God seriously, and stand only on it alone. Finally, you mix your faith with it which means you stand firmly on the promise expecting it to work.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 NIV)