Only Believe
Ephesians 5:8-10,15-17 NIV For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
15-17 So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil.Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Colossians 4:5-6 NIV Behave wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of your time. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer
2 Timothy 2:15 TLB Work hard so God can say to you, “Well done.” Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and means
The Lord, expects us to be good stewards of our time. To study the scriptures, to show thyself approved. So we can and are ready for circumstances, as they arise.
So each day as God reveals His will for us, we are ready to act and to take advantage of His generosity and favor, to bring about the abundant life He has promised to us and to those around us.
Illus. by Roy Fowler
A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden. (Unknown)
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Someone whom I respect a lot told me, “if you have one or two really good friends in your lifetime, you are truly blessed!”
Acquaintances become friends, many for a season, but few for a lifetime!
Relationships are important to us because we are called to love/respect each other as individuals and society.
We sometimes look for answers in all the wrong places, rather then where we should. All the abundant fulfillment we will ever need, is found in the pursuit of our relationship we have, with the author and creator of our lives.
Is it just me, or have you noticed how little time there is now a days.
I’m sure you’ve heard more than one person say, boy, where has this year gone?
2020 sure has been one for the record books. Where has the time gone, so much to do, so little time to do it in.
Technology has gone totally crazy, new gadgets come on the market before we have even figured out the stuff, the old ones can do.
Everywhere you look, and you don't have to go far, everyone is on their communication device, with unlimited data at their fingertips.
Most everyone’s smart phone has more power in the computer part, with the ability to do the impossible in mere seconds. And yet having and holding that ability in our hands, has turned society into what seems like, a bunch of zombies!
Did you know, God has the original Unlimited data plan? With God, we have unlimited access, but yet choose to limit the time we give and spend with Him,
If there ever was a minimum investment plan, with maximum results, our relationship with God, would be it! God gives so much to us, and in comparison we give so little in return!
Makes you think twice, about the saying, the more you put into a relationship, the more you get out of a relationship!
The truth is, everything that takes our focus off of our relationship with Jesus, is a distraction!
The distractions have many different names, Far too many of them fall under the category of drama and Gods people, really shouldn’t have so much drama, but you see…..
The accuser will use whatever he can, to keep you occupied with life, so you will forget what matters the most, your time with God!
Do you notice the key word here, you become occupied, you will this, you can do that, you, you, you. Most times the blame really shouldn't be put on the accuser, it should be put on (ouch) us!
We like to think our capabilities can deliver the grand life, we're looking to live, but if that were the truth, more people would walk around saying, “it’s a Wonderful Life”
Have you ever noticed how many unhappy people there are in the world, how they think everyone and everything owes them what they Want!
First of all let me tell you unhappiness is toxic to everyone!
They don’t like the way they look, or the clothes they have, or the car they drive, etc. etc. etc. Everytime they begin to describe happiness, begins with their reasons as to why their not happy.
Happiness, sadly and I hate to be the one to break the news to you, is not found in things. Truth be told, Americans have more available to then and at their disposal than most any other country in the world, but yet all we hear on the news is how bad things are!
We become disheartened, because sometimes we feel we have little to offer and what lies ahead is too great. Church that’s what condemnation is!
Here’s the truth! God will use what we have, in a great way if we will let Him. After all, if God can move a mountain with only a mustard size portion of our faith, how much more can God do for us, if we will willingly, give Him the whole portion of what we have to work with!
If we are willing to put what we have into Gods hands, what we have is not limited to our capabilities anymore,
Our portion, is not limited at all, when we place what we have into the hands of the one who doesn’t even have the word impossible, in His vocabulary!
Far too many including Christians, fail to remember “All” things are possible, when God is in charge and trusted, with the results!
2 Kings 4:1&2 Msg.
1. One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves."
2. Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?"
"Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil."
How is it, when the widow was asked if she had anything, at first she said that, she had nothing?
Human nature may not always be willing to admit the truth, but the truth is we always have something to give!
The self reliance mentality, hangs on even right down to the bitter end, (as if making the justification, for the decision to blatantly lie to the prophet....if I can't do anything with what's left, what makes you think you can) like the little bit she had left, would make a difference.
First of all, wether we have plenty or lack, that kind of attitude towards giving, is toxic!
TBS. with that kind of thinking, nothing will ever come of it!
"with man, nothing is possible! With God, all things are possible!!"
God doesn’t need what we have to produce more for us, friends what God is looking for, is for us to trust Him, with the little that we do have and the faith He is able to do what He says He is able to do!!
Mark 4:30-32 NKJ
30.. Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
31. It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
32. but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
The mustard seed, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; truth be told, a mustard seed amount is significantly less than the amount most people consider is nothing!
Yet God wants us to realize, when we put what we have in the mix with His capabilities, the end result becomes enormous. Praise God!
I believe this doesn't just include the physical things we have, this request from God, is all inclusive.
Our time, our resources, our abilities, our talents, Our Everything....mixed together with God's abilities, is an awesome, unlimited, abundant life, waiting to be lived and enjoyed!
The widow, knew what she didn’t have, but she also knew what she did have. And its that something, when were willing to let God get a hold of it, has the potential for supernatural growth.
After she realized, she was willing to admit as to what she had
and was willing to invest what she had and sow that seed into what she had need of,
the Lord through the prophet began to reveal His plan to her, it was at that moment, her situation started to go from hopeless, to hopeful and happening! Amen?
3-4. "Here's what you do," said Elisha. "Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside."
Sometimes, the plan that God has to bless us, doesn’t always make perfect sense to us, Guess what? It doesn’t have to! You know why? Because it's God's Plan and not your plan!
It's like when you go to the movie,
and you think you've got the plot all figured out,
and then out of the blue a different ending comes along that you were even thinking about, and you absolutely love the way it turned out.
Why? Because there was much more love and generosity involved than was required! You see it’s like this, we are willing to settle for a bicycle to go down the lane to get the mail, when God is willing provide a limousine for us!
God loves Extravagant! God loves everything about the word Extravagance! Too many of Gods people have a permanent choker hold around their neck when it comes to receiving the blessings God has for them!
TBS.(the bible says)
He will use the foolish things to confound the wise.
*He made a fish into an ATM. Machine one time, to pay taxes with.
*when the children of Israel were in the desert, God allowed Moses to strike a rock, which provided water for some estimate more than two million people!
God is always a God of more than enough!
God’s ability to deliver results is not limited to our inability to understand!
Learn, to not limit God, to your understanding!
Gods ways, are not our ways and they don’t have to be, He’s God,
He doesn’t need our help, figuring out the plan, only to be a part of the plan and believe the results will not only come, but will amaze us
and all those who know us, when they hear of the results!
God has the hard part, we have the easy part, but we always think it’s the other way around for some reason!
Now we get to the good part, to the most important part of story, the part to where it all becomes possible!
The widow did something far too many are unwilling to do! She trusted in Gods capabilities instead of her own, she made it about Him and not about her self reliance!
She took a huge step, over to the wild side of possibilities of growing her faith in the Garden of God's endless abilities,
5-6. She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, "Another jug, please."
He said, "That's it. There are no more jugs."
Then the oil stopped.
This describes the enormity of what God makes available to us, each and every moment of our lives! We determine, the amount of our blessing, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
We are the decider, that's how much God loves us, enough to let us decide the amount of blessing we want to receive!
The prophet told her, go and find some vessels and not a few.
Her faith was the thing that determined the outcome that day!
Our faith does the exact same thing in our lives, because we have been given the exact same amount of faith as the widow!
There was no time limit applied to the task, she and her sons, determined the amount of their blessing that day.
Our faith determines the outcome of our measure of blessing we receive from God! If we’re not receiving everything we feel we should be receiving from God, it’s not Gods fault it’s ours!
God hasn’t changed, the accuser has tried to change the way man thinks, but God is the same, TBS. He changes not!
When you invest in anything, the greater the investment, the greater the risk, but also the greater the reward!
7. She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, "Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what's left."
She truly found out the meaning of giving out of your need, She went from rags to riches, not because of what she was capable of, but because of the God of endless capabilities!
The entitlement mentality today, seems to want what everyone else can give them. Did you know God owns the word entitlement? God was the creator of and is originator of and will always have the best entitlement plan and distribution system deliverance for His family!
Do you know Him today? Are you part of the family of God? Than start gathering your vessels and give God what you have and trust His confuse the wise ways and methods for making impossible situations possible!
Why in the world, would anyone want to limit themselves to what someone else could give them, Instead of what the Creator of the universe and all that’s in it, could give them?
We don’t have to settle for a sliver of pie, God wants you to know, you can have as many pieces of the pie your willing to believe for!
There's not one single solitary thing, God cannot do...if you can only believe!
Only believe, only believe, all things are possible only believe!
Fellow Contributors,
If you have found this teaching helpful, I invite you to check other resources and books I have authored available at all online bookstores! Or you can follow me on Facebook at my Charlie Roberts Author page.
Available now:
I AM, I CAN, I WILL “all about exploring God’s Grace”
MY SCANDALOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD “all about exposing God’s Grace”
PARKING LOT FAITH “the realization you already have enough faith to move your Mountains”
