Second Coming

Matthew 8:11-12 KJV
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. [12] But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The second coming of Christ has been a while coming. It seems like such a long while that people have enough time to backslide and second-guess the reality of it all. But there is a reason why it is those who endure to the end that shall be rewarded. Let us not give up in waiting. “Do not give up; you can make it. God is on your side and He will reward your faithfulness” (Servant Tim).

Wisdom

Acts 6:3 KJV
…look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Prayer can do a lot more than we could imagine. But after God does His part in answering the prayer, you must have wisdom to sustain the miracle. If God answers your prayers for a spouse, a job etc, it is wisdom on your part that will cause you not to lose those things. When you pray, pray for wisdom as well. “It is not everything that answers to prayers. Some things only answer to thinking” (Kakra Baiden).

Extraordinary Problems

Hosea 1:2 KJV
…And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord .

We all want to stand out, but when problems come we compare ourselves to other people. If you want an extraordinary life be prepared to have extraordinary problems, because how you overcome them determines how truly awesome you are. If you want to have the normal problems others are having be prepared for an average existence. “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny” (C.S. Lewis).

Men of God are just men, of God

Acts 15:37 KJV
[37] And Barnabas determined to take with them John…Mark.
2 Timothy 4:11 KJV
[11] Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

Men of God are people too, and none is perfect on their own merit. It is not good to follow advice at the detriment of your own God-given ministry. Barnabas the Son of Encouragement followed his ministry of encouragement and gave Mark a chance, just as he had earlier persuaded the disciples to give Paul a chance. Later, Paul commended Mark, after Barnabas stood his ground and allowed Mark to be in ministry. No matter how anointed someone is, they do not have the final say in your life. Men of God make mistakes too. Trust the God who has called you; you do not need others to validate your ministry.

No Set Schedule

Genesis 25:20,26 KJV
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife,… [26]…and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Don’t compare your life to another’s. Rebecca probably married young but didn’t have children till 20 years later. Another girl in that time may have married later but had children just nine months after. There is no set schedule for everybody to follow. Not everyone will go to primary school, senior high school, university, get a job, marry, have kids, retire at 60 and then die, in that order. Everyone is unique with their own destiny. Don’t let other people’s destinies confuse yours.

Take it to Jesus

Proverbs 21:23 KJV
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

When you are going through something, you may be tempted to talk to people about it. Be selective about who you open up to because the person may either help or aggravate the situation. Don’t share your pain with everyone. “If they can’t help you out of the pit, it’s none of their business. Protect your anointing! Take it to Jesus” (Real Talk Kim).

Stick to your Guns

Ruth 1:14 KJV
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her…When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

Life rewards those who are resilient, not just those who are talented, beautiful, born into a good family etc. Orpah gave up too soon and her story ended too quickly. Ruth stuck to her guns and she became a part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. “Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak” (Thomas Carlyle).

“Just do it”

1 Samuel 14:6 KJV
[6] And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

We don’t always have to wait for a sign from heaven to do things before believing that God is with us. It is better to take action on good opportunities than to be inactive waiting for God to do something He has already given you the capacity and resources to do. “Just do it” (Nike).

Self Confidence

Numbers 13:33 KJV
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Sometimes we are our own biggest enemies. What people think about you do not change who you are, that is until you let it. People are allowed to have their opinion, what matters most is how you see yourself. “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner” —Lao Tzu.

Digging for Gold

Proverbs 14:4 KJV
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

The best way to live a ‘clean’ problem-free life is to do nothing, and take no risks. However, such a life is not worth living because it results in a chronically banal existence. If you believe in what you are doing with your life, you should be willing to bear the problems that come with it. If you look at the problems, you will not achieve anything worthwhile. You must be willing to get your hands dirty if you believe you are digging for gold. “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one” (Bruce Lee).