“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22 KJV). Is God promising to make all His children financially rich? Certainly any disciple who is enriched must account for it from our Father’s blessing. Are we to limit this promise to financial blessings only? No, for we would be preventing God from granting us spiritual blessings, which far exceed the luster of money. If Yahweh has given you the faith to claim this promise to meet a financial need in your life, then “according to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29 KJV). Be sure to claim all the promise: “and He addeth no sorrow with it” (10:22). I take that to mean it is a blessing that brings joy with it. What a blessing to receive spiritual or financial blessing with the joy of the LORD!
Promises
Aging of America
The aging of America will become more predominant in our thoughts, as the birth rate of most nations shrinks — except India and the Third World. Who is looking after the world? Who’s going to take care of all the elderly? Whose idea was it to populate the earth? “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28 KJV). I still remember — almost a half century ago — the disdain of my state college professor towards that Scripture reference, when a vast auditorium went dark, and he displayed Genesis 1:28 to a large audience with sound, music, and an overwhelming pictorial montage of industrial pollution, overpopulation, urban sprawl, garbage, crime-ridden neighborhoods — the festering sores of humanity. Jesus answered the question of who would take care of everyone — God would. Humans must cooperate with God, but the buck stops at His desk to make everything work. “25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:25, 33-34 KJV). For our aging disciples, the LORD promises, “And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar [gray] hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4 KJV). Hope lives where God reigns!
Why Doesn’t Everyone Finish?
Why doesn’t everyone finish their Pilgrim’s Progress journey to the Celestial City? “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14 KJV). A common saying in the world, ‘If it were easy, everyone would do it,’ makes a lot of practical sense. How does anyone know they are His chosen few? Peter answers that question. “2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [Greek, agapē, love]. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2Peter 1:2-10 KJV). Maranatha!
Not Our Problem to Figure Out How God Keeps His Promises
It’s not our problem to figure out how God keeps His promises. “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36 KJV). Believing God is more important than trusting ourself. Do we know enough? Have enough faith? Repented enough? Prayed and fasted enough? That’s important and good, but it comes down to Jesus’ question. “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28 KJV). The blind men replied, “Yea, Lord” (9:28). Without any more discussion, “then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened” (9:29-30). Do whatever possible thing God requires of you; but essentially, God is responsible for the impossible, because it glorifies Him the way He deserves. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23 KJV). Let God be God, who is responsible for the results. Let us not try to be God’s Public Relations, if things don’t work out. We are only responsible for the possible, which our limited thinking can understand. Only believe God! May the God of the Impossible be glorified by our confidence in Him!
I Can Do All Things
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). What exactly does that mean? I can do everything God expects of me because I have the supernatural help of Almighty Christ. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18 KJV). We have the supernatural job of teaching a hell bent world about Christ. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (28:19 KJV). We have the Throne Authority of the Immortal Father, the Sin Conquering Power of the Risen Son, and the ‘You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide’ Targeting Power of the Holy Spirit. That sets our confidence at its highest! Hallelujah!
Poster Children for Hope
Abraham and Sarah are probably the best poster children for hope. The Living God promised Abraham at the age of 75 He would make of him a “great nation” (Genesis 12:2 KJV). Sarah was 65 years old. Twenty-five years later, Sarah bore Isaac. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER! “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 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: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform” (Romans 4:18-21 KJV). Glory only to God!
Keep Hope Alive
Keep hope alive by looking to “Christ Jesus our hope” (1Timothy 1:1 KJV). Hope is that feeling events will turn out for the best. “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 KJV). Without great expectations, we will not attempt great things for Christ. “However, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things He has done for you!” (1 Samuel 12:24 NET). When things are darkest, “hope thou in God” (Psalm 42:5, 11 KJV).
Call Unto Me
“Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV). Jehovah encouraged Jeremiah, who watched from a prison cell the destruction of his city and nation, to petition the LORD God to restore the doomed city. Likewise, we are emboldened to believe and greatly pray for the enlargement, prosperity, and increase of Christ’s Church though the Enemy seems to come in like a flood to snuff the light out of the Body.
The Promise of Giving
A Promise for Giving Tithes, Offerings, and Contributions
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38 NIV).
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A Brief Commentary on Mark 9:1-29
Especially Addressing the Plea, “Help Me Overcome My Unbelief,” or Overcoming Our Jadedness
Verse 1
“And He said to them, Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power” (9:1 NIV).
The “Some Who Are Standing Here Will Not Taste Death Before They See That the Kingdom of God Has Come With Power” Conundrum: To whom did Jesus address this statement? The answer is found in the previous chapter. “Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34 NIV). So, He addressed “the crowd” and “His disciples.” If He only addressed His disciples, then the complication would arise, which disciples? What event would some disciples see that the other disciples would not? But, this is not the case, since evidently “the crowd” (9:1 NIV) was being informed of a future event to be viewed by these “disciples,” as well.
If physical death (“not taste death”) was implied in Christ’s statement, then when would His disciples “see that the kingdom of God has come with power” (9:1 NIV)? Evidently, Christ was referring to the disciples’ witnessing His Resurrection, to which He referred only earlier in the same discourse (Mark 8:31). Both His Death and certainly His Resurrection were unexpected by His disciples at that time. And, Christ’s defeat of death through the “power of His Resurrection” (Philippians 3:10 NIV) transcends any expectation of a mortal mind. “And who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4 NIV).
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We Need A Miracle 