Different kinds of friends

Proverbs 18:24 KJV — A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

There is a friend that loves playing football.

There is a friend who’s great for going out to eat with.

There is a friend who knows how to crochet.

There is a friend you can call when you need someone to play table tennis with.

There are different kinds of friends. Understanding this is the first step towards making friends.

But thinking that all friends have to be all things to you is a good way to miss out on having friends.

Just get out of bed

Proverbs 22:13 KJV — The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Sleep is extremely important. God gives His beloved sleep and He designed you with a need for a specific quantity, quality and rhythm of sleep.

But when it’s time to get out of bed, just get out of bed.

What if I wake the baby…what if I’m interrupted while I’m working…what if I waste the time because of feeling tired…?

When that soundtrack of excuses starts playing, rejoice (because it’s Satan trying to Rob you of a brand new day.

And then: just get out of bed.

Dissecting Mark.11:23

Mark 11:23 KJV — For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Verily. This is the truth, spoken by The Truth. This is not a matter of opinion. You really need to get this.

I. Jesus. Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

You. Yes, you. This is for you. I am speaking to you.

Whosoever. Anyone. Everyone. No prequalification. Open source. Freely available and accessible and usable by any person.

Shall say. Speak. Voice activated. You need to say something.

Unto this mountain. Not God, but this mountain. Not mountains, but this specific mountain. Obstacle. You need to speak to things. Speak to the specific mountain that is in front of you.

Be thou removed and be cast into the sea. Give the mountain specific instructions. Speak outcomes. Tell the mountain what is to happen to it. Declare its end from the beginning.

And shall not doubt in his heart. Do not consider any other outcome other than what you have spoken.

But shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. Believe. Be convinced and fully persuaded that what you say shall come to pass.

He shall have whatsoever he saith. You shall have whatsoever you say. Keep saying it. Say it as a declaration. Say it as a prophecy. Sing it as a praise song. Hold fast to your confession without wavering. You shall have whatever you say.

Endure the tension

Psalm 37:34 KJV — Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Endure the tension.

Not for the sake of it, but because you have dared to believe and pursue what God has promised you.

Endure the tension between believing and receiving and you shall have what you have believed for.

Do it with joy

Isaiah 12:3 KJV — Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Paul wrote that we are to “rejoice in the Lord always”

And Hebrews 12:2 shows Jesus going through the crucifixion for the sake of “the joy set before Him”.

Joy is the secret sauce. It’s the epitome of faith. It’s the ultimate expression of confidence in God when you break out the balloons and throw a celebration party for something you’ve received by faith but haven’t seen manifest with your eyes…yet.

Whatever you’re doing, do it with joy, because that’s how you draw out what God has placed within you.

Events and headlines

Proverbs 24:10 KJV — If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

The event may be the day of adversity, but the headline is the story of how you overcame it.

That’s what your strength, ingenuity, resources, resourcefulness….they exist for you to use them to triumph in the face of adversity.

Don’t faint, don’t give up.

Use what God’s given you to turn this situation around.

Use your Faith bucket

Ephesians 2:8 KJV — For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Faith is the bucket you use to access all that God has already provided in your spirit by grace.

This is the picture painted by Isaiah 12:3

Isaiah 12:3 KJV — Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

If you’re experiencing thirst or hunger or poverty or sickness or lack of any kind…it’s time you use your Faith bucket to draw what you’ve got in your spirit.

Dare to be fully persuaded

Romans 4:21 KJV — And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Be excited. Show up early. Ask specific questions. Ask follow up questions. Tell everyone around you. Be constantly looking for it. Ignore how things failed in the past and magnify how well things are going to go now and in the future. Be confident. Make decisions from the position of one who has already claimed victory. Talk about it. Talk it about it again. And again. Talk about it as if it is a done deal. Make life commitments and plans on the basis of what you are fully persuaded about being a done deal.

You’re already persuaded. Now, step out and dare to be fully persuaded, and watch how your life is transformed.

Abram vs Abraham

Romans 4:19 KJV — And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

Abram was a hundred years old, childless with no human chance of having a natural son.

Abraham was a father of many nations, with descendants as the stars in the sky and grains of sand on the beach.

You get to choose which identity you embrace. Life vs Death. Blessings vs Curses. Light vs Darkness.

Are you an Abram or an Abraham?