Book of Proverbs – Don’t Say You Can’t – Say Can

Book of Proverbs – Don’t Say You Can’t – Say Can. Check out my website

James and Michael his best friend and best man are out at the baseball game.

“What am I going to do Mike? Jenna wants me to take ballroom dance classes with her in preparation for the wedding. I can’t do that.”

“You think you have problems I have my own set. Madeleine wants me to take a Hot Air Balloon ride with her and she knows I have a fear of heights. I can’t do that”

Jenna and her best friend Madeleine at the nail salon.

“What am I going to do Madeleine? James wants me to go to a baseball game with him. He knows I don’t like sports of any type. I can’t do that.”

“I have my own issues as well. Michael wants me to learn French for our upcoming trip to France. I don’t want to do that. I just want to visit the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre. I can’t do that.

How many times have you said I can’t to God?

I can’t be an usher in the church. I can’t stand on my feet that long. I can’t sing in the choir. They rehearse a couple of times a week and then there are mid-week services as well as multiple services on Sundays. I can’t go on a mission trip. It is not a vacation it is hard work. I can’t go to seminary. When I graduate, I am supposed to be a reasonably perfect person free from sin. I can’t write that spiritual book. I am an unknown who is going to pay any attention to me? The list goes on endlessly of all the things God wants us to do and the answer is always I can’t.

When you tell someone, you can’t what you are really saying is that I am not interested in doing that. When we say we can’t do something it often means we don’t believe in our ability to do it. We refuse to try. We are concerned about how much time and effort it will take to do that thing. It’s a matter of how much time and effort we want to put into it. Let’s not leave out the fear factor which is usually snuggled up close to the word can’t. FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real! Let’s look at the above examples:

James doesn’t want to take ballroom dance classes. Obviously, he is concerned about stumbling over his feet and looking clumsy around everyone else especially if the lessons are not private lessons with just him and his wife. There is also the fear factor. If it’s important to her than he should do it and don’t say I can’t.

Michael doesn’t want to take the Hot Air Balloon Ride because of fear. What did we just say about fear? It is False Evidence Appearing Real. He just needs to not eat anything before he goes up and drink minimal liquids, so his stomach doesn’t go sour on him. The most important thing, however, is to remember what the bible says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13.

Jenna doesn’t want to go to a baseball game because it doesn’t interest her. However, there could also be the fear factor here as well. If she is concerned about getting hit by a line drive ball coming in her direction, then she just needs to voice that to James and get seats behind the home plate where there is a protective net. She needs to remember the reason why they got married is to be together and want to please each other. This will please James and again she needs to remember “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13.

Madeleine doesn’t want to learn French. It’s not that she can’t she hasn’t applied herself and believes she doesn’t have the ability to learn it. She is saying she can’t, but the truth is she hasn’t even tried. Besides, it is just common courtesy to learn the basic phrases for another country if you are visiting. Hello – thank you – where is there a bathroom – how much does this cost – etc.

Do not say you can’t unless you can prove it is physically impossible. You can do all things through Christ! Book of Proverbs – Don’t Say You Can’t – Say Can. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – You Are Blessed

The next day is not promised to any of us. Therefore, we must live in the present, the here and now. However, not every day is smooth sailing. We sometimes get thrown a curveball like in baseball that throws us off-kilter. No matter what you must constantly remember you are blessed. There is always someone who is dealing with an even bigger battle than you are. “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” – Helen Keller. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – You Are Blessed. Check out my website

Your car is in bad condition and runs badly. While driving you pass several bus stops that are crowded with people who don’t have a car.

You are overworked and underpaid. You go out to lunch and see there are several people in the lobby who are applying for a job with the firm where you work. You have a job and they don’t.

You dream of owning a home because the apartment complex where you live is poorly maintained with dim lighting and sometimes it is hard to find a parking space. While you are driving home you see several homeless people in the street who have nowhere to sleep asking for money and pulling a shopping cart.

You have a cold and it’s making you miserable. You are constantly coughing and blowing your nose. You take some cough medicine and put some tissues in your bag and head over to the hospital to visit your friend who has pneumonia.

You sign up to take a tour however it is not what you thought it would be. There is too much walking and your legs are hurting and your feet are sore. You meet someone else on the tour who is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to see everything they want because of the terrain where they cannot get to certain places with the wheelchair.

You go to the movies with your friends and you are disappointed because the cinematography is not as breathtaking as you expected. Then you see someone at the movies who is vision impaired.

Your spouse aggravates you to no end and sometimes you wish they weren’t around. You get a phone call from your best friend who is hysterically crying because their spouse just passed away suddenly.

Every day you wake up you are blessed. That means God still has a purpose for your life. You are blessed when you have clean water to drink, you have a washer and dryer where you live, you have a vehicle to drive, you have all of your five senses working, you have your health, you have food to eat, your parents are still alive and in good health living on their own and not in a facility. Your children have a heart for God, and they are serving him in some capacity in the church.

As you can see there are so many ways in which God blesses us daily from the smallest to the greatest. Having your eyesight to see a rainbow and a butterfly is just as great as taking a month-long tour of Europe. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – You Are Blessed. Check out my website

Thank God daily for all his blessing and remember YOU ARE BLESSED!

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – God’s Got This

Omnipotent – having virtually unlimited power, authority, or influence. http://www.merriam-webster.com

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? – Jeremiah 32:27. Check out my website

Daily there is a multitude of things that can cause us to become stressed, worried, concerned, or fearful. If we have faith and belief in God that should never happen but we are not without sin and so it does happen from time to time. However, we need to remember the above bible verse and realize that there is nothing too hard for God. He has given us numerous examples of this:

Creating the world in six days.
Sarah gave birth to Isaac at 90 years of age
The parting of The Red Sea
Manna from Heaven for 40 years
Jonah in the belly of the whale
The Immaculate Conception with Mary giving birth to Jesus
Daniel and The Lion’s Den
Raising Lazarus from the dead
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in The Fiery Furnace

Of course, there are countless other examples, but you get my point. We must learn that we were created to be believers, not achievers, and to live in peace, not in strife. Now this will take some time to have this peace and rest knowing that God is in control and wants the best for you and is handling everything in your life and will make sure things turn out for your good. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10. Even seasoned veterans who have had previous experience with God keeping them lifted up and above all the mess sometimes falter. Just keep asking, seeking, and believing and God will make it all turn out positively for you. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28.” Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” – Matthew 7:7. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – God’s Got This!

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – God’s Promises

God’s promises are longer than life, broader than sin, deeper than the grave, and higher than the clouds. – C. H. Spurgeon. http://www.sermonquotes.com

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. – C. H. Spurgeon. http://www.sermonquotes.com

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834[1] – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the “Prince of Preachers”. http://www.wikipedia.com

God is faithful and true. His promises are forever. We only need to trust and believe. No matter what you may be going through today God is aware of your dilemma and already has a way to save you. Now he may not choose to save you in the way you want to be saved and may not do it in the time frame you wish but he is always on time. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9. “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” – Lamentations 3:25-26. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – God’s Promises. Check out my website

It is good for us to be diligent and pray to God day and night. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” – Joshua 1:8. It is also not disrespectful to remind God of his promises to us. When we do this by speaking God’s promises he remembers just like the bow he placed in the heavens. God made a covenant with Noah and his sons who built the arc after God destroyed the world with the floods because of man’s iniquity. “And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, this is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” – Genesis 9:8-17. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – God’s Promises. Check out my website

This is powerful. Remind God of his promises. If you are dealing with health issues declare these promises from God:

God you promised, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” – Psalm 103:3

God you promised, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” – Psalm 107:20.

God you promised, “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, this is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.” – Jeremiah 30:17

God you promised, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” – 3 John 1:2

If you are dealing with financial issues declare these promises from God:

God you promised, “For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” – Psalm 5:12

God you promised, “And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers.” – Deuteronomy 30:9

God you promised, “For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow, and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.” – Deuteronomy 15:6

God you promised, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” – Revelations 3:8

Whatever issue you may be dealing with search the bible for God’s promises and then repeat them over and over and remind God of what he said and in due season you will reap your rewards. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – God’s Promises. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation

Manifestation – the act, process, or an instance of manifesting. A perceptible, outward, or visible expression. http://www.wickipedia.com

Are you waiting for a manifestation or maybe several to happen in your life? Have you been praying unceasingly daily? Have you waited so long that you have just given up hope? Well, I have good news for you. Don’t give up hope because you are not alone. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation. Check out my website

Even with automation like toll booths where you have a device in your car that electronically communicates with the toll booth when there is no attendant to process your payment and keep you moving. In today’s day and age 24/7 fast food service, there are still times you have several cars in line ahead of you and you must wait to receive your order. Waiting for all of us is inevitable. Also, believe it or not, we have to wait more often than we think. Of course, there are times when we know we will have to wait no matter what. A pregnant mother waiting to give birth to her baby, boarding a plane with other people, and waiting on the runway to taxi for takeoff, whatever fruit or vegetable seeds you have planted in your garden to grow and produce. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation.

Manifestation is all about waiting and for most of us that is sometimes a daunting task especially if you are a Type A personality like myself. We want it done and we want it done yesterday. Then we realize the timing does not depend on us it depends on God and so we mellow some. Then our feathers get ruffled again because it is taking too long. Well, how long is too long? Let’s look at some examples from the bible. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation. Check out my website

Abraham – God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. When God said that Abraham and his wife Sarah did not have any children. They waited many years until Sarah convinced Abraham to have a child with her handmaid. The child was born and named Ishmael, but this was not the child God promised. At the age of 100, Abraham and Sarah 90 finally had the child God promised and they named him Isaac. Abraham waited 20 years.

Joseph – God spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him he would become a very powerful man and reign over many including his older brothers. He told that dream to his siblings and that angered them and so they threw him into a pit. A caravan of Ishmaelites found him in the pit and took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar’s wife made sexual advances on Joseph which he rebuked and so she lied about him trying to take advantage of her and was thrown in jail. Finally, when Pharoah needed an interpretation of a dream he called for Joseph to be brought to him. He told Joseph the dream and he interpreted it and was released by Pharoah and was promoted to chief administrator of Egypt second to Pharoah. From the time God gave Joseph the dream until it was manifested was 13 years.

Job – God allowed the devil to destroy everything that Job had so he could prove Job’s faithfulness to God. Job was a very wealthy man. Job lost everything including his wife and children. Job trusted God and remained faithful through it all. In the end when Job had passed the test God restored twice the amount of what Job originally had lost in cattle, property, children, crops, and children. Job had patience.

Don’t worry ladies I did not forget about you. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation.

Hannah – In the Book of Samuel, there is a story about a young woman named Hannah. She was married to a man named Elkanah and they were very much in love. Hannah, however, was not able to have children and after many tries, she convinced her husband Elkanah to take another wife named Peninnah who gave birth to several sons and daughters for him. However, Elkanah did not love Peninnah the way he loved Hannah and that drove Peninnah to jealousy. She taunted Hannah mercilessly about being barren, but Hannah kept her dignity and grace and held her tongue and continued to pray to God for a child. One day while Hannah was at the temple, she was so despondent and explained to the priest Eli what was troubling her. She said she was willing to give up her child if she ever had one that she would dedicate him to the church. God was so pleased with Hannah’s patience and perseverance that she did have a son and named him Samuel. She kept him up until he was 3 years old and then gave him to the church. She kept in contact visiting him and watched him grow. God blessed her patience by giving her 5 more children, three sons, and two daughters.

Esther – She was a young Jewish woman who was being raised by her cousin Mordecai. She was obedient and beautiful. She was sent by her cousin to become a part of King Ahasuerus harem. She finds favor with the king and becomes the queen. Her cousin Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill all the Jews and tells her she must speak with the king to save her people. Once getting informed of the plot to kill the Jews she becomes frightened and is overcome with helplessness. She is not allowed to see the king unless she is summoned. She goes to the king unsummoned and explains her plight. He resolves to save her people and kill the one who orchestrated this plot. Esther showed her faithfulness and belief in God that he would save her people if she did her part. God provided the manifestation for her.

Ruth – She is the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi has been compared to a female Job. She lost her home, husband, and children. Some say she lost even more than Job did. When Naomi’s and Ruth’s husband died Naomi advised Ruth to go on and live her life, but Ruth was a loyal woman and stayed with Naomi. Ruth had great faith. Her faith and belief in God that he would provide for Naomi and herself was solid. They introduced Ruth to a man named Boaz, and she proved to be a woman of integrity with Boaz. Ruth went to go work in the fields of a man named Boaz. Boaz was a single wealthy man. Boaz fell in love with Ruth and she went from a lowly field worker to being Boaz’s wife. The book of Ruth shows the workings of divine providence. The book reveals the extent of God’s grace. God blessed Ruth and manifested to her exceedingly and abundantly. God fully accepted Ruth into His elect people and recognized her with a role in continuing the family line into which his appointed king, David, and later His Son, Jesus, would be born. After Boaz married Ruth, she became pregnant and had a son named Obed. This man Obed became the father of Jesse. Now Jesse was the father of David who was in the direct family line of Jesus Christ.

Are you waiting for your manifestation? Patience is the key. We are always in a hurry and God is not. God’s timing is often a mystery. He doesn’t do things on our timetable. However, the Bible promises that God will not be late, not one single day. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” – Habakkuk 2:3. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Manifestation. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – The Anointing

Anointing – to choose by or as if by divine election.

What does it mean to have an anointing on your life? It means God has chosen to work through you and gives you an opportunity to do something with ease, so it is not a struggle.
All of us would love to do things in our lives with ease since life can be so hectic. A good example of this is Christmas time and holiday shopping. Things sometimes get very chaotic at this time of the year. When we have the anointing in our lives, we don’t feel overwhelmed and anxious. With the anointing things flow like tranquil waters in a lake, like an eagle gliding through the air, and like a dinner, you watch being prepared at Kobe’s restaurant. If you have never dined at Kobe’s it is a Japanese Steakhouse Restaurant where the chefs prepare the food right in front of you on teppanyaki stainless steel grills. These grills are usually powered with gas and the chefs prepare quite an entertaining show while they are cooking your food. The tricks that they do on the grills with flaming hot fire are great and they do them with such ease. Book of Proverbs – The Anointing. Check out my website

How do we receive the anointing on our lives? We must keep peace in our lives. We must stay away from strife. We must be sensitive to The Holy Spirit because he is our helper, instructor, and educator. We need to have an intimate relationship with God because it is possible to have an anointing on your life for everything, not just things involving church or ministry. When you have an anointing on your life you can accomplish whatever it is you need to do in all areas of your life. Book of Proverbs – The Anointing

As with anything where God is concerned, he is always looking for willing vessels. If we will make ourselves available God will work through us and do amazing things. Strive for peace and keep the anointing on your life. Book of Proverbs – The Anointing. Check out my website