Presented here is another lesson that God revealed to me while meditating on two Biblical episodes wherein Jesus was on the sea of Galilee with His disciples in raging storms. The comparison of the two is Biblical proof for the inevitability of success in business for anyone that obeys a God-given inspiration for having one. Even so, always pray before making decision so that God will give directions as Proverbs 3:5-6 say that He will.

God gave me 20/20 insight of the scenarios because of what He caused me to realize about Jesus being the incarnation of the Omnipotent Jehovah in Isaiah 55:11 that said no word that He spoke would return to Him void. I explain that in The Infallibility Of God’s Word.

I have to first add a parenthetical insertion about something I said on the introductory video above. That is, I said that my company would be a 5-year model to demonstrate what corporate America could do to revitalize our economy so that it would have inherent sustainability. But, subsequent to recording the video I realized that the 5-year projection was based on the calculations in the spreadsheet for my company’s progression.

I didn’t take into consideration what Apostle Paul said in Romans 9:28, “For He [God] will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” And, I didn’t consider what God said in Isaiah 55:8-10, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways My ways,” says 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.”

Therefore, given that our Incomprehensible God can shortcut time and given that it’s impossible for anyone to think on His level I realized something, Namely, He can bless my company’s success in a way that defies logic so that the only explanation would be . . . But God, i. e., miraculous. Thereby, only He is glorified because it’s about Him not me.

I had to add that to clear my conscience. I will not limit our Incomprehensible God to the calculations on a spreadsheet. He’s the Almighty God that knows no limits, cannot be defined to scientific laws, and neither confined to human-logic.

Now, I’ll proceed with what the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost caused me to understand about the two scenarios in which Jesus was on the Sea Of Galilee in raging storms with His disciples.

First, I’ll use the setting in Mark 4 in which Jesus and His disciples were in a boat. He was in the back asleep on a pillow. The disciples became fearful of the storm and awakened Jesus and asked Him if He wasn’t concerned that they were about to perish. He got up and rebuked the wind by saying, “peace, be still”. The wind stopped blowing and the sea became calm.

The other occurrence is in Matthew 14 when the disciples saw Jesus in the distance walking on the water.

They were terrified from thinking that He was a spirit. Jesus knew that His disciples were horrified because He was the incarnation of the Omniscient God. Therefore, He identified Himself as He approached the boat.

Peter replied by saying, Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to you walking on the water. Note that Jesus was completely aware of the boisterous wind and the waves But still, He said to Peter, “come”.

So, Peter stepped out of the boat and proceeded to walk on the water toward Jesus. He continued walking until he let the high wind and the waves caused him to be overcome with fear, loose focus on Jesus, and begin to sink.

Think about this! The moment you hit the water you sink. You don’t begin to sink like its a process. It’s instantaneous. You sink, as it were, like a rock whether you are overweight or underweight it doesn’t matter either way you sink instantly. Note the language in Matthew 14:30, “But when he [Peter] saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

What we can conclude from this scene in Matthew 14 is that the more attention Peter gave to the wind and the waves the less he was able to concentrate on doing what the Lord told him to do: walk on the water. That is a lesson within itself.

The one thing that we must always be conscious of is (and I know I’m being redundant, but it can’t be said enough) Jesus was the incarnation of the Omnipotent God in Isaiah 55:11 that said no word that goes out of His mouth would return to Him void, but it would accomplish what’s on His mind and the thing He addresses will prosper. And, I paraphrased the verse.

With that in mind, the Holy Spirit caused me to notice something about the two scenarios that struck me as though I was reading them for the first time. Namely, Jesus said, “Peace, be still”, to the storm in Mark 4. But, in Matthew 14, although He could have said, “Peace, be still”, to the storm before calling Peter out of the boat He did not. Its because Jesus knew that the storm had to be subject to the supremacy of His word and would therefore have no adverse effect whatsoever on Peter walking on the water, which is what our Lord had on His mind when He called Peter out of the boat. Therefore, the water had to support Peter’s weight even if was 2,000 lbs., or even more. Otherwise, our Lord’s Word would have returned to Him void.

Another point to consider is that Peter was and experienced fisherman. He knew the potential perils of stormy sea. Even so, he stepped out of the boat only in obedience to our Lord’s word and without rationalizing the potential danger of the storm. He action demonstrated FAITH without him saying that he had it.

I have to refer to Peter again. When our Lord called him out of the boat Peter’s obedience necessitated the miracle for him to do what was humanly impossible. Otherwise, our Lord’s word would have not accomplished what He intended for Peter to do, i. e., walk on the water.

The objective for sharing this lesson is to encourage you, as it did me, to realize that our Lord inspiring us to become entrepreneurs would equate to Him speaking to us. Obeying Him would insure our success regardless to a volatile or stormy economy or any other adversity that arises because His word unequivocally cannot return to Him void: cannot fail.

We know that the economy is currently unpredictable and it’s unpredictable globally. Whatever happens in the European and Asian economies especially affect the United State’s economy also.

Even so, obey the inspiration and ignore any negative forecast about the economy just like Peter ignored the boisterous wind and roaring waves when Jesus called him out of the boat. And, you step out of the proverbial boat in obedience and pursue the business or invention for which God gave you the inspiration.

Your obedience will necessitate the miracle or miracles necessary to achieve the success God had on His mind for you when He gave you the inspiration.

Like Jeremiah 29:11 says, “ I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God spoke to the Hebrews in the present, while they were exile in Babylon. But, He spoke according to what He was looking at in their future. Therefore, when God inspires you in the present He is looking at your future: your inevitable success if you surrender your will to His will through obedience.

I have already stepped out of the boat. My obedience is causing me to have Miraculous Experiences that are sometimes more than overwhelming: more than I can process at one time. And, they convince me that our Almighty God is watching over me to bring the vision to fruition.

I believe that the significance of being pressed to publish this is for it to be the preface for Mission To Corporate America. It’s because you too must fulfill Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Good works would be synonymous to good deeds something done for others: for humanity. We could leverage our good deeds to give powerful testimonies about who Jesus is in us and who we are in Him.

Consider the Biblical account of how God used Joseph to sustain Egypt during the 7-year famine in Genesis 41. Otherwise, Egypt may have become extinct. Given that scenario think about the state of our country today the United States of America and its unpredictable economy: the ups and downs with the stock market.

Making a comparison to the political party controlling Washington, D. C., or who the president is, we through God’s guidance and our obedience to Him like Joseph was in Egypt can be infinitely more effective in revitalizing our economy and giving it inherent sustainability. The impact on our fellow-citizens and the economy from our collective efforts in evangelism and business could be the apex of glorying our Heavenly Father by our good works [deeds] before the Trumpet blows. It could only happen by being obedient and stepping out of our boats.

Prayerfully consider what I’ve shared. God will give you understanding if it pertains to you.

Be blessed!

It was established in the previous article, Send Judah First: Victory or Defeat?, that the Peace/Fellowship offering was eaten by the offerer and the priest. It was comparable to our culture in hosting a Thanksgiving holiday dinner. The host would invite family and friends and all would dine and enjoy fellowship around the table.

Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us”, in the New Testament. He is the incarnation of the God of the Old Testament that said wherever and whenever a burnt offering (in conjunction with a peace offering) is offered where His name is recorded He would come to the people and bless them: Exodus 20:24, “An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.”

The only two New Testament references that approximate to “in every place where I record My name” are:

• Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
• Matthew 28:20, “. . . I am with you always [individually and collectively], even unto the end of the world.”

Bear in mind that Jesus that was the incarnation of Jehovah that spoke in the Old Testament. Given that God is the same today, yesterday, and forevermore the peace offering of the New Testament would precipitate His blessings wherever and whenever it is offered.

The ONLY eating ritual in the New Testament that equates to worship is the Holy Communion. Whereas the Old Testament patriots only ate the flesh of sacrificial animals, we eat the flesh of the sacrificial Lamb of God and drink His blood symbolized by grape juice. Some churches use Kosher wine.

John 6:53-56

53. Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
54. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
56. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Note that in the Old Testament it was forbidden to consume blood according to Leviticus 17:10-12:

10. ‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
12. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’

Whereas the blood of sacrificial animals and all life-forms was contaminated by Adam’s sin,  the blood on the Jesus [the sacrificial Lamb Of God] was not contaminated by sin: it was pure. Therefore, His blood gave spiritual life and could therefore be drank by those that believe Him to be the Lamb Of God that takes away the sin of the world.

The book of 1 Corinthians 10:16 denotes Holy Communion: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

The word, “communion” is translated from the Greek word, koinonia (koy-nohn-ee’-ah). The Greek word is also used in 1 John 1:1-6 and the translation is “fellowship”:

1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —
2. the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us —
3. that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
5. Fellowship with Him and One Another. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Therefore, the Communion Table is not only to celebrate Jesus as our Passover, it is equated to and is superior to the Fellowship Offering of the Old Testament. The reason is that Jesus is the actual Lamb of God whereas in the Old Testament was an earthly mammal. Neither is Communion designated for a particular day but could be taken at will: “as often as you do it, you do it in remembrance of me”

Note that the author of the book of Hebrews, generally presumed to be Apostle Paul, qualified Jesus’ blood as “the blood of the everlasting covenant”: Hebrews 13:20. Whereas the blood covenants of the Old Testament were dependent on sacrificial animals and were good throughout generations, the covenant based on Jesus’ blood is everlasting: eternal.

According to the book of Leviticus 7:16, the Peace Offering could be for a vow or voluntary:

Leviticus 7:15-17

15. ‘The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until morning.
16. But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice; but on the next day the remainder of it also may be eaten;

In Leviticus 19:5, God said, “ye shall offer it at your own will”. Jesus said of the Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as . . .”

Therefore, when we eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine we take personal ownerships of Jesus as our personal sacrificial Lamb, Redeemer, and our Peace/Fellowship Offering and thus, accepting God’s Grace for making Jesus the Supreme offering to Him. And, because Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, we have the same and even greater expectations in taking Holy Communion than what the Hebrews had when God said in Exodus 20:24, “. . . I will come to you, and I will bless you” when and where they offered the Peace/Fellowship offering.

The Power of Holy Communion

The power of Holy Communion is in 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 (especially vs. 30)

23. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24. and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [promises and provisions] in My blood [which is why Apostle Paul referred to it as ““The cup of blessing” in 1 Corinthians 10:16]. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
27. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner [going through the motions without being sincere about serving the Lord] will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28. But let a man examine himself [of any unconfessed sin], and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner [going through the motions without being sincere about serving the Lord] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

The operative word in verse 29 is, “unworthy”, which is someone who is not circumspect in living by Biblical principles based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In other words, it’s one that’s got the talk (publicly) but not the walk (privately). For such a person, participating in Holy Communion can bring on consequences as mentioned in vs. 30: physical weakness, sickness, and death.

It must be noted that this verse makes neither a direct nor an indirect implication that death from a terminal illness is expressly linked to taking Holy Communion unworthily. The FACT is that the same Bible that says by His stripes we are healed in Isaiah 53:5 and by whose stripes we were healed in 1 Peter 2:24 also says in Hebrews 9:27 that it is appointed to men to die. Thus, we don’t judge a reason for one’s death.

Verse 30 also implies that death could be the effect of illness that might otherwise be healed if Holy Communion was taken worthily, i. e., with a sincere heart to serve the Lord. This could be supported by James 5:14-15; “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” Taking Holy Communion during and illness DOES NOT negate calling for the elders according to James 5.

Let’s briefly consider the texts in Hebrews 9:27 (appointed to men to die) and James 5:15 (the Lord will raise him up) in light of what Jesus said regarding Lazarus’ sickness in John 11:4, “. . . This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Lazarus died and laid in a tomb for four days. But, in answer to Jesus praying, the Sovereign Almighty God resurrected him and God was glorified!

The point is that we can NEVER presume upon God by quoting/reading a passage from the Bible and categorizing it as a “promise” and thereby predict what God is going to do. We have to let the Holy Ghost guide us in prayer, which He will do if we allow Him. (Recognizing the voice of the Holy Ghost comes by spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, and meditating on what’s read. He has a way to make each one of us know His voice.)

Doctors prescribe medicines to take per given instructions to get well. Patients take the prescriptions with the expectation of being well again. I likewise encourage people to follow the instructions as prescribed on the medicine and take Communion at the same time with expectation of being healed, whether by medical science or a miracle from God.

Note a Biblical instance in which King Hezekiah was healed by medicine after he prayed and God told Rabbi Isaiah he would be healed:

2 Kings 20:4-7

4. And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5. “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.
6. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”‘”
7. Then Isaiah said, “take a lump of figs.” So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

Taking medicine DOES NOT imply not having faith in God. Hezekiah prayed because of his faith in God, but he was healed by medicine and it happens today. Therefore, DO NOT omit prescribed medicines to take Holy Communion. Go to a doctor, obey the doctor, receive prayer and be anointed with oil, and take Holy Communion: all Biblical. Simple logic is that medicine won’t be needed when healing occurs.

The story behind the lesson about Holy Communion . . .

I will preface it by saying as I did in other texts that I have never actually heard God [the Holy Ghost/Spirit] speak audibly. But, He speaks in my spirit-being in ways that it’s almost audible.

I remember it happening one night while I was washing a few dishes in the kitchen sink. All He said was, “Remember the Lord’s body and His blood”. To honor what He said, when I finished the chore I read everything in the Bible on the subject. But, the text in Luke 22:19-20 stuck with me, especially vs. 20: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

I further demonstrated that I honored the Holy Ghost speaking to me by stopping at a market on my way from work specifically to buy a bottle of grape juice and unsalted crackers. Subsequent to that, while in private devotions at home, He spoke to me again and said, “when its as though the dEVIL has tripped you and you have fallen face down in the mud and he is attempting to suffocate you. remember the Lord’s body and His blood.”

Maybe two weeks later I received an airline ticket to travel to another state to be a speaker for three days on evangelism in a week long conference. My history of preaching on street corners, in public parks, downtown settings, and on a flat-bed truck was the basis of me receiving the invitation.

A few days prior to my departure date I began to become progressively ill by the day. But, there was something that seem amiss about it besides the pain, which made me wonder if it was an attack of the dEVIL to prevent me from taking the trip. After two or three days of getting progressively worse, I decided to go to my doctor to get a complete physical. I knew that I would receive the result of the blood work and other test in two to three days.

I went to the doctor but DID NOT tell him the symptoms I was experiencing. My thinking was that if I had violated my health the test would show it. Or, if it was an attack of the dEVIL I thought that the test would show nothing. After the examination, I left the doctor’s office in pain, very sick. This was a Monday or Tuesday as I recall.

The results of all of the tests were negative. I was then convinced that I was under an attack of the dEVIL.

That coming Friday or Saturday about 1:00 AM, I was lying in bed in so much pain that I could hardly bear it. I called the emergency room in one of the nearby highly rated hospitals and told a staff member my symptoms. The last word to me was to get there, they were waiting for me.

Upon getting out of the bed to get dressed, the instant my feet hit the floor the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and said once again, “remember the Lord’s body and His blood”. I finally made my way to to the kitchen and got the grape juice from the refrigerator and opened a packet of crackers to take Holy Communion.

I was in too much pain to go through the ceremonial prayers and Bible readings like Christian churches typically do on first Sundays. I simply held the cracker and thanked God for His Son whose body was the veil that was pierced so that the blood could flow and also quoted Isaiah 53:5: “. . . He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” I broke the cracker and ate it.

Prior to drinking the grape juice I remember saying, Father Your Son that cannot lie said that this cup is the new Covenant in His blood, which means every provision that His suffering, death, and resurrection provided for me is in this cup, which means every promise You made for believing in Him is also in this cup. I am now a partaker of the cup, which contains my healing. I drank the little glass of juice. I continued to stand there afterward just meditating on the sequence of sufferings that preceded our Blessed Lord’s death.

I believed that God would heal me as He did times previously but I experienced something unexpectedly in this episode. It was a very slight sensation that started at the top of my head. It was comparable to walking into a strand of a spider’s web with my forehead; barely detectable.

The sensation went horizontally through and slowly down my body barely detectable on the surface of my skin. I thought of a vertical MRI. I didn’t know what to make of sensation. But, I paid particular attention to it when it was at about waist level. I actually spoke out like talking to myself and said, “I am not imagining this, it’s happening!” I also took special notice to see if the sensation would remain perfectly horizontal as it proceeded down both legs, which it did and out through both feet.

All I know is, as God is my witness in heaven, when I stepped from that spot I was completely healed. It is very unlikely that I would ever experience that sensation again because the Holy Spirit used it to teach me about the power of Holy Communion, which is a lesson that I will never forget. When sharing this testimony I never suggest to people some sensation they would experience. The experience was to teach and validate a lesson. I have subsequently heard other corroborative testimonies of healings that occurred by taking communion.

MEMO: 2 Peter 1:3 says, “. . . His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue . . .” Thus, we have knowledge of the New Covenant giving us everything that pertains to every aspect of our physical lives (education, health, business and finances, and etc.) and spiritual lives (perfecting holiness in the fear of God). Consequently, when anything is amiss we can fight it by taking Holy Communion.

Note Romans 8:2, “. . . the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” The following is paraphrased by playing on the proposition, “of”, which in the verse denotes origin and purpose: “. . . The law from the Spirit for [earthly and Spiritual] life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law from sin and [consequential] death. Holy Communion is the ultimate leverage against the effect of the law of sin, i. e., the works of the dEVIL.

Conclusion

When taking Holy Communion privately at home or corporately we must always remember that it is Jesus’ blood of the new covenant and that God is a covenant keeper. The power of Holy Communion CANNOT be underestimated. There could be dire consequences for taking it insincerely: physical weakness, sickness, and death. However, given that it is equated to the Hebrews’ peace/fellowship offering in Judges 20:26 and 1 Chronicles 21:26-27 in which God brought deliverances, He would do the same for us today if our lives exemplify followers of Jesus Christ. – AMEN!

The New Testament book of Ephesians 6:12 tells us the origins of our struggles: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Principalities are particular demonic spirits from which respective powers emanate that drive people to committing acts that the Bible defines as sin. The words, “against spiritual hosts of wickedness”, denotes that our “enemies” are spirits: intangible beings.  The words, “in the heavenly places” are comparable to people saying, “it’s something in the air” when they feel uneasiness in environments without apparent causes.  Ephesians 2:2 it true, which tells us that prior to accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior we walked according to the influences of the prince of the power of the air.

Let’s focus on the word, “wrestle”.  Note the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary’s definition: to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance.

Visualize a wrestling match wherein the requirement for a victory is for the fallen opponent to concede to losing.  Imagine the following:

1. One opponent is held down by the other’s seemingly unbreakable hold.
2. The fallen opponent becomes completely exhausted and apparently has no hope for gaining leverage to win the bout.

The rule for the match in which a Christian deals with or happens to succumbs to sinful temptations is that if he/she does not concede to defeat, then the dEVIL is not the victor.  Not conceding to defeat demonstrates to God ones desire and willingness to serve Him.

The emotional state of the defeated Christian

A true Christian overtaken by a sin would be plagued by guilt.  In addition to guilt, what he/she experiences would be godly sorrow, which proves one’s desire to serve the Lord in spite of succumbing to temptation 2 Corinthians 7:11: For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Note what happens in the psyche as described in vs. 11, “ . . . you sorrowed in a godly manner.

1. what diligence it produced in you . . . to be vigilant and prayerful (1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.)
2. what clearing of yourselves . . . to separate from all appearance of evil
3. what indignation . . . resentment for being overtaken by the sin
4. what fear . . . greater reverence for God and His Word in exercising prudence to avoid repeating the scenario
5. what vehement desire . . . to please the Lord in all manner of conversation
6. what zeal . . . to work diligently for the Lord
7. what vindication . . . having the realization of being exonerated of all disobedience and by totally submitting to Jesus Christ

The last sentence in verse 11 is the conclusion: “In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” It simply says that the seven specifics are evidence that the heart’s desire is to serve God, which is what precipitates His forgiveness.

Jude 24-25 is often quoted when praying the benediction:

24. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25. To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

Although used in benedictions, I submit that this reference speaks one of the highest praises to God in the entire Bible.  It starts by assuring us that He is able to keep us from falling.  And, that is dependent on our “free-will”, i. e., if we want Him to keep us from falling He can.  But, just in case a Christian does fall, he/she must be given hope.

Note what Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Endeavoring to strengthen and encourage a fallen brother/sister is the prime opportunity to demonstrate love for him/her and ultimately for God.  We must use the Sword of the Spirit [the inspired Bible] by the enabling power of the Holy Ghost to fight for that fallen one: using the Sword to encourage and build his/her faith in God’s willingness to forgive sin.

A fallen Christian’s hope

Note what Psalms 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — these, O God, You will not despise.”  This verse tells that it is not in the character of our God to despise our contrition.  The fact is that if a fallen Christian did not actually love the Lord with the whole heart, there would be no contrition; no brokenness. This fact cannot be underestimated. I would refer to it as the magnetism that draws God to the individual.

If a Christian falls for any conceivable or inconceivable reason(s) there is hope because of the following references in the book of 1 John:

1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

2:1-2: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

Imagine this, our Judicial system prohibits a court wherein the judge is the defense attorney’s parent.  The legal issue would be that the judge’s ruling would be biased in favor of the defense attorney by virtue of the kinship.

However, in scenarios pertaining to fallen Christians, we could visualize the heavenly Supreme court with the following two aspects to consider:

1. Revelation 12:10: “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”  (Furthermore, the defendants here are guilty as accused.)

1. 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Thus, in the heavenly Supreme court the accuser is Lucifer and the Advocate is Jesus.  The difference in this court is that the Advocate is the Judge’s Son and both of them have disdain for the accuser: Lucifer, (the prosecutor).

This setting is the ultimate Supreme Court and the Judge always favors what the Advocate’s appeal to the court. When the appeal is granted the prosecutor’s [Lucifer’s] disadvantage is that there is no higher court to which he could appeal to bring charges against the Supreme Court’s Judge for judicial misconduct.

The only requirement for having the defendant being exonerated and the case dismissed is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Therefore, there is NO guilt: justification instead of condemnation.

Conclusion

The Advocate, Jesus Christ, NEVER had a client that was NOT guilty.  But, because the Advocate’s Father is the Chief Judge, the Advocate can get the case dismissed by virtue of the defendant believing that He is the propitiation for her/his sins as stated in 1 John 2:2.  Thus, forgiveness is in effect.  Case dismissed!  All is well! And, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen!

The word, compel, may seem inappropriate to use in the title. However, I think that you will find it justifiable before the end of this text.

Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, said in John 14:26, “. . . the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” I found that to be true especially during one of the most turbulent times of my life. He taught me with examples from the Old and New Testaments how to compel our Heavenly Father, the Almighty and Sovereign LORD, to bless when what I needed defied logic. (See Miraculous Experiences in the iFrame above.)

What we must remember of the New Testament is that according to Matthew 1:23 Jesus is Emmanuel; the incarnated Almighty God [of the Old Testament] with us today. And, herein is Biblical evidence that we may not get our “blessings” if we don’t know how to compel Him to bless us. However, I am careful to NEVER tell Him how to answer because He knows what I need before I pray and He knows how to answer, which compelling Him causes Him to do.

I will begin where the Holy Spirit began teaching me this astonishing lesson. It’s one of the memorable stories in the Old Testament: Jacob wrestling with an angel.

I would presume to say that like me you have probably read it and heard it numerous times: Sunday school classes, youth group settings, and general Bible classes. It’s not a lengthy story: it’s only six verses but a powerful lesson.

The Bible references are from the King James Version because that is what I was reading when the Holy Ghost/Spirit gave me this incredible and epic experience.

Genesis 32:24-29:

24. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man [an angel] with him until the breaking of the day.
25. And when he [the angel] saw that he prevailed not against him [Jacob], he [the Angel] touched the hollow of his [Jacob’s] thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him [the angel].
26. And he [the angel] said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he [Jacob] said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27. And he [the angel] said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28. And he [the angel] said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

This time while reading this account the Holy Ghost began to speak to my spirit. In the process, He asked two questions. The first one was, how is it that the angel was strong enough to knock Jacob’s hip out of joint but DID NOT have the strength to break his hand grip? Needless to say, it didn’t make sense for the angel to do what required enormous strength but was not strong enough to do what required less strength: it’s illogical.

The hip joints are the largest joints in the human body. It would take an enormous trauma (severe impact, a hard fall, automobile accident, and etc.) to dislocate a hip joint whereas it would not require nearly that amount of force to break a hand grip. Thus, I had no logical explanation as to why the angel was strong enough to knock Jacob’s hip out of joint but DID NOT have the strength to break his hand grip. It just didn’t make sense!

The second question was regarding the phrase, “power with God”, i. e., how is it that the angel told Jacob that he had power with God and Jacob NEVER performed a miracle? The phrase, “power with God”, is usually ascribed to a person that God uses to perform miracles, which occasionally occur today: physical healing, exorcisms, instant deliverance from substance abuse, and etc. I therefore wondered what Jacob ever did that warranted the phrase being descriptive of him?

My mind was in this short time in overload; totally perplexed. While in this state the Holy Spirit again spoke to my mind and said, “look up the identity of the angel”. As many times as I have heard teachers/ministers talk about this scenario with Jacob and the angel, I have never once heard any reference to the identity of the angel. I also knew that if the angel’s identity was not in the Bible, I would not have been instructed to research it: simple logic.

Given that the Angel told Jacob that his name would be Israel I began searching the Bible for where an angel could speak of his own volition without stating authorization from God. I found nothing.

I then began to search for other references that referenced Jacob’s encounter with the angel. I found Hosea 12:3-4, “He [Jacob] took his [twin] brother [Esau] by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel , and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him [God] . . .”

Grammar teaches that what follows a colon explains what precedes it. I therefore began to wonder if the angel in vs. 4 whom Jacob had power over was actually a manifestation of God in vs 3. Then I wondered if God ever came to earth in an Angelic form and spoke with the authority of being God.

I subsequently found Isaiah 63:9, “In all their affliction [the Hebrews’ enslavement in Egypt] he was afflicted [was grieved], and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” This verse implies that the pronouns, “he” and “his”, referred to God because the “he” is the one that subsequently carried them. If so, then God came to the Hebrews’ rescue in Angelic form. This is substantiated in Exodus 23:20-21:

20. “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name [Jehovah] is in Him.

Note that in Genesis 32:29 Jacob asked the angel His name. The angel’s reply contained the words, “my name”, which indicated that He did have a name: God’s name. But, the Angel did not tell Jacob what it was and asked him why he wanted to know it.

The two references caused me to revisit the account of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:2-6:

2. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5. And he said, draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6. Moreover he [the angel of the Lord] said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

I don’t ever remember anyone stressing the point or associating the angel of the Lord to being the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. But, here the angel of the Lord clearly identified himself as that God.

The New Testament reiterates that the angel of the Lord was God in the burning bush in Exodus 3:

Acts 7:30-32

30. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
31. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
32. Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

Now note that in Judges 2:1 what the angel of the Lord did, “And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.” The question here is, can an angel make a covenant and furthermore sware to keep it WITHOUT once indicating his authorization from God? Let’s look at Who made the covenant, Genesis 17:1-8:

1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4. As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Genesis 17:1 settles any question as to Who made the covenant in Judges 2:1 and therefore proves that God (within the mystery of His Sovereign Being) assumed an Angelic form and occasionally visited earth.

Now let’s deal with Genesis 32:28 where the Angel said to Jacob, “for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men”. Let’s focus on Jacob’s influence on men first.

Prior to this experience with the Angel, Jacob was hungary and therefore conned his twin, Esau, who was the older of the two, into forfeiting his birthright for some food. Note the reference in Genesis 25:30-33:

30. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
32. And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”
33. Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Genesis 29:13-31:21 accounts for Jacob going to live with his uncle, Laban. He ultimately married Labans two daughters: Rachel and Leah. Jacob lived with Leban for 15 years and was cheated out of wages for the duration.

Upon Jacob’s plan to return to his home land, he makes and agreement with Laban wherein Jacob’s wages for the years of labor would be to take the speckled sheep and goats and brown lambs and Laban would keep the solid color animals. But, Jacob’s advantage was that he knew how to cause the sheep to be born speckled.

Jacob therefore took greater care of his herds making them more in number and healthier that Laban’s herds. Jacob consequently became wealthier than Laban and returned to his homeland with more than he had at his departure.

The scenarios with Esau and Laban are the only two in which Jacob ever had power with/over men. This is what the Angel with whom he wrestled referred to in saying that Jacob had power with men.

It has so far been established that the Angel was a manifestation of God. It has also been shown how Jacob had power with men. Now it’s back to the first question: “how is it that the Angel was strong enough to knock Jacob’s hip out of joint but DID NOT have the strength to break his hand grip?

The Holy Ghost gave me an astounding answer. As the idiom says, it nearly knocked me out of my chair.

The Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and said, “God may act as if He is not going to answer you, i.e., bless you. But, He does not have the strength (as it were) to brake away from you when you are holding onto Him for a blessing.”

That certainly sounded logical and good but I wanted to be sure it was the Holy Ghost and not my imagination. Therefore, my next thought was recalling the prophesy concerning Jesus in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Given that Jesus was the incarnation of the unchangeable God of the Old Testament He must have exhibited the same character in the New Testament as exhibited when incarnated as an angel and wrestling with Jacob. And, given that Jesus was/is the Son of God I thought of the idiom, “like father like son.

The Holy Ghost then caused me to remember the scenario of Jesus and the Syrophoenician (Greek) woman whose daughter had a demon as recorded in the Gospels written by Matthew and Mark. In this account is the likeness of Jesus (God in the New Testament) to Jehovah (God of the Old Testament). Let’s look at Mark’s account first:

Ref: Mark 7:24-26

24. And from thence he [Jesus] arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
25. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician [descendants of Noah’s son, Ham] by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

The only point to be made in Mark’s account is that this woman came to Jesus because of reputation. I therefore wanted to know what she could have heard and proceeded to do a little research to see how many miracles Jesus had already performed. It was 27. How many of those the woman heard about is impossible to know and it doesn’t matter. But, she heard enough to be convinced that He could help her daughter.

Matthew recorded a more detailed version of the same story in which he reveals the likeness of New Testament Jesus to Old Testament Jehovah . . . Matthew 15:22-28:

22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan [descendants of Noah’s son, Ham] came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

• Just imagine that the compassionate Jesus rejects her by ignoring her. (There is no sound in the world like that of the voice of a helpless mother pleading for her child. But still, Jesus exhibited a cold-hearted uncompassionate man by ignoring this desperate mother’s plea.)

24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel [descendants of Noah’s son, Shem].

• This is where I actually made the “time-out” sign with my hands as the Holy Ghost spoke to my spirit and I said, “stop . . . time out . . . overload”. I then quoted to God John 3:16 where Jesus said that God so loved the world, not God so loved the Jew. So then, I asked how does this loving Jesus reject this desperate mother pleading for her child by telling her that He did not come for the Canaanites, ONLY for the house of Israel . . . In other words, He came for His kind, not her kind. He sounded like an arrogant, pompous, and heartless racist. At that, the Holy Spirit told to keep reading.

25. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.

• In spite of Him denying her, jerking her around (as it were, like the angel did Jacob), she DID NOT give-up; her cause was too great. As Mark 7:25 explains why; she heard of Him and thereby knew that He could help her. But, by virtue of being desperate, she was not about to leave without obtaining help for her daughter: she was unrelenting.

NOTE: In worshiping Jesus, the woman did what Psalms 150:2 teaches, “Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.” She knew from what she had already heard of Him that He had greatness and could deliver her daughter from the demonic attack.

26. But he answered and said, It is not meet [proper] to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

• Jesus rejects this pleading mother’s desperation for her child the third time and humiliated her by implying her likeness to a dog [as racist Jews classified Canaanites].

27. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

NOTE: In my imagination, the mother’s realized that she was the homemaker. She was therefore responsible for the laundry, house-cleaning, and cooking. She consequently knew from her experiences with baking that the same ingredients in the loaf were also in the crumbs. Thus, she knew that if she got enough crumbs she would have the benefit of having a part of the loaf.

• Her need for His blessing caused her to debase herself by agreeing with Him that she is like a dog . . . “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

NOTE: After being rejected by Jesus three times, her being relentless and worshiping Him is what guaranteed her blessing. Just as Jacob did with the Angel of the Lord, which was actually God, she refused to let go regardless to the pain from humiliation. Thus, she got her petition.

This scenario with Jesus occurred before He was crucified. However, after His resurrection the same characteristic of wanting to be compelled still exists. Note that in Luke 28 after the disciples visited the empty tomb at the urging of the women to see for themselves that He had risen, two of them, one named Cleopas, afterward started walking to a village called Emmaus.

They talked about the Lord’s death and His resurrection and He overtook them. But, He some how disguised Himself and they consequently didn’t recognize Him even after He joined in their conversation. Note the following verses:

28. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Note the wording in vs. 28, “he mad as though he would have gone further”. This suggest that Jesus was not going to go with them unless he was invited. Verse 29 says that they constrained him, i. e., compelled him and He went in to tarry with them.

We can conclude from Luke’s account also that compelling Jesus by being unrelenting gets a response from Him. But conversely, we must also remember that in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 8) the Hebrews compelled God to give them a king, which He wanted to be for them. But, they prevailed upon Him so much that He gave them Saul and before it was over they wanted God to take him back.

The conclusion is this. Do as the Apostle, Paul, taught in Philippians 4:6; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer [worship] and supplication [praying for ones self] thanksgiving [for what He has already done and can do], let your requests be made known to God . . .” Continue to pray as long as the matter is not resolved. However, trust God’s love enough to say, “if it be Your will”. Don’t be like the Hebrews in the scenario of God giving them Saul to their own hurt.

The key to knowing if a request is in alignment with God’s will is a look at the miracles that Jesus did. They are conveniently listed in Wikipedia.org.

If it’s for an in increase in finances, See “About The Prayer of Jabez Not Working. If praying for healing, refer to “The Power Of Holy Communion“. I wrote the two blogs from lessons the Holy Spirit taught me on both subjects. But, DO NOT take me as the authority, validate them by the Bible.

Relative to praying for healing I remember my mother. She wore medium-high heel shoes to her 90th birthday dinner without having to be assisted in walking; only on stairways was she assisted. But, she looked about 70.

She had a heart attack about three months later. She was admitted to a hospital.

While I was sitting at home one evening while she was in the hospital, I was being realistic about her age. However, I remember praying and said to God, “Father, you promised us threescore and ten (70) and by a reason of health fourscore (80). Mother is 10 years past the four, but I am [emotionally] not ready for her go now.” Then I asked, “can I ask You for an extension on her life?”

I have never heard the audible voice of God but He does speak to my spirit. This setting was one in which God spoke to my spirit in a way that it was almost audible. His voice came toward me from the right side quoting Psalms 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” I will never forget that.

I knew at that instance that mother would not die then. God healed her and gave her four more healthy and strong years.

The last episode she had was not related to any previous illness. I again prayed for an extension on her life but it was as if I were in a vacuum in which there was no God in existence. Although I got emotional and prayed repeatedly, I knew in my heart that it was time for her to go because God’s presence would not come to me.

While out-and-about one day, I remember saying just above a whisper, “mother, it’s time for you to go back home now”. There was no emotional attachment to her as being my mother. It was as if I knew that we were two spirits that came from the same place and it was now time for her to go back.

That same day I went to various funeral homes to get estimates on funeral arrangements and to look at caskets. That day I decided on which facility would get her remains. She died the next morning, slept away peacefully to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.

I deviated from the subject to say this. We have to learn to listen to that spirit-voice that speaks to a Christian’s spirit [psyche]. Spending time in private devotions and reading the Bible are unequivocally the ONLY ways to learn and know God’s voice and distinguish it from our imaginations.

Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice . . .” Therefore, believers can learn to recognize His voice. Just as sheep follow their shepherd, we must follow Jesus. We must demonstrate our dependency on Him.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. I am deeply convinced that He will not. But, I learned that He will not speak until it’s necessary because He IS NOT an entertainer. When He’s not speaking during adverse times I learned to worship Him by telling Him how great He is. I do this by enumerating to Him the blessings He has already given and thank for each one.

CONCLUSION

Jacob’s strength was his expectation of the angel blessing him. The Syrophoenician mother’s strength was her expectation of Jesus helping her. Otherwise, neither of them would have been persistent in spite of the physical and emotional wrestling: they refused to let go. We MUST have the same perseverance, which demonstrates our expectation and dependency and produces blessings.

Remember this, our God is NEVER LATE but seldom early. Be blessed!

Jesus said very pointedly to His disciples in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth . . .” Thus, His expectation of us is to effect the preservation of the world; Spiritually, socioculturally, intellectually, and economically. He would therefore empower us with His Spirit to lead us and guide us to effect His will for us; being the salt of the earth. The urgency is now!

Whereas the articles on this site focus primarily on Spirituality, this article focuses on our economic well being. It proposes how God would use anyone that is willing to be lead by Him in spite of any criticism that may arise.

A good example is when God used Joseph in Genesis 41 to give Pharaoh a strategy for adverting the effect of an oncoming 7-year famine. He could likewise inspire believers with strategies for their enterprises to prove to corporate America how to revitalize our economy with long-term inherent sustainability.

Proverbs 11:10-11. “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices . . . By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted . . .” Accordingly, everyone who has been made the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:21] through Jesus Christ has the innate potential to make a positive impact on humanity as pertaining to life and godliness [2 Peter 1:3], which I believe with my total being.

Given that Faith without acting on it is dead (useless) according to James 2:17 I am acting on what I believe. I hope to contribute to others focusing on Proverbs 11:10-11 whether they do or do not presently have something in the works. Because, individually and collectively we can make differences Spiritually, socioculturally, intellectually, and economically until our Blessed Lord blows the Trumpet.

Regardless to any reports about the economy’s volatility, we must focus on what the Bible says specifically about the economic well being for people that trust in God: Jeremiah 17:7-8:

7. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.
8. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

In this reference, “drought” denotes bad economy and “yielding fruit” equates to being productive. Therefore, in spite of a bad economy we will be productive.

What the Bible teaches must ALWAYS cause our expectations of our God to override any negative projections economists or the government give about the national or global economy. Because, what God says prevails given that His word absolutely CANNOT return to Him void. Rather, it will accomplish what pleases Him (what is on His mind when He speaks) according to Isaiah 55:11.

The New Testament reference, Romans 15:4, says, “. . . whatever things were written before [Old Testament days] were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” We therefore must believe the reference in Jeremiah 17:7-8.

Our God has not changed; CANNOT change. He is still the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Sovereign Jehovah. Just as He inspired Joseph millenniums ago, He could likewise inspire people today with ideas for being entrepreneurs and inspire us with business strategies that could impact our country and the world.

The big picture is that God could inspire us with strategies that could cause our enterprises to grow enormously. They could capture the attention of corporate America’s stockholders and cause them to wonder how we are so successful. That is precisely what I hope to accomplish by my company’s modus operandi being as described in Renaissance In Corporate America.

Stockholders learning of our prosperity from helping others to succeed could consequently cause them to dictate that the companies in which they own shares also implement strategies comparable to ours, which could ultimately give stockholder greater returns on their investments. The result could produce a strong economy with long-term inherent sustainability.

Napoleon Hill is noted for saying, “Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive And Believe, It Can Achieve”. However true this might be, the achiever is limited only to what her/his mind has the capacity to conceive.

This realization is why our reliance must be on Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (conceive), according to the power (the Holy Spirit) that works in us . . .” This reference most definitely proves that our achievements ARE NOT limited to what we can conceive. Because, the Holy Spirit working in us, inspiring us, AND directing us, will do exceedingly abundantly more through us than we are able to conceive.

Remember Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding [your logic]; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” No one can make a path standing still. One has to be going forward . . . taking action, which would give God something for which to inspire us with directions.

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established”. This tells us that if we truly entrust our businesses endeavors to God, He will give us ideas and inspire us with strategies to implement them. Thus, our thoughts will become realities and success would be inevitable.

If we trust in the Lord, if we acknowledge Him in making business decisions, and if we commit our businesses to Him and then don’t experience what these references teach, it invalidates the Bible, which our God most definitely WILL NOT let happen. Therefore, our success is inevitable.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”. Us contributing to revitalizing our economy would be apart of our good works that would glorify our heavenly Father.

If I allow circumstances to stop me, my actions would demonstrate to our Almighty God that I don’t believe that He can do what the Bible teaches. I can’t have that on my conscience. So, I keep going.

What I can attest to is this. Every time I reach an impasse our Heavenly Father intervenes in inconceivable ways as mentioned on Miraculous Experiences. Consequently, my intent is to maximize my potential for being the salt of the earth as Jesus said we would be in Matthew 5:13 until He blows the Trumpet.

Note what our Blessed Lord said in John 15:7-8, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Note the four points in the breakdown:
1. Two conditions: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you
2. The privilege: you will ask what you desire
3. The result: it shall be done for you, which glorifies God
4. The bottom line cause for asking must be: that you bear much fruit

I wrote Renaissance In Corporate America as the result of an inspiration by the Holy Spirit extrapolating on my memory of how my former pastor (the late Bishop I. W. Winans) contributed to the Spiritual and economic viability of his congregation. The Holy Ghost made me realize that by being Born-again I consequently have my Heavenly Father’s Spirit of giving: He gave His only begotten Son. Therefore, given I too have the spirit of giving my business is not for me only but to bless others and ultimately the country.

Renaissance In Corporate America is what I envision as making an impact on our economy, i. e., perpetuating economic growth in communities as referred to in Comprehensive Evangelism. Thus, Renaissance In Corporate America would be incorporated in Comprehensive Evangelism, which would bear much “fruit” and ultimately bring Glory to our Almighty God: Jehovah in the Old Testament incarnated as Jesus in the New Testament.

Years ago the Holy Spirit used a cute little girl to teach me a life-changing lesson about my fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, according to 1 John 1:3. It occurred while I was on a trip to Lima, Ohio, to visit a church. I was invited by a husband and wife to have dinner in their home along with their pastor and his wife and a few members of their church.

The host had a two or three year old granddaughter that repeatedly interrupted our conversations with her loud ear-piercing baby-talk, which was normal for that age. I just wished that she had picked another time to be normal. But, her being so at that particular time I discovered was a God-sent blessing in disguise.

That baby was the catalyst for one of the greatest and most humbling experiences with my Heavenly Father I ever had. It made me realize that many of His blessings are for children only: individuals that exhibit the humility of children.

The Holy Spirit said to me, “this little child runs into the room and does her baby-talk with no regard for who is present and/or engaged in a conversation. She has not fear of being scolded by her grandparents and therefore acts in complete freedom.”

Then He said to me, “if you don’t stop and pray for a needy person or situation you encounter in the street, in a mall, super-market, on an airplane, or whereever you are and WITHOUT any regard to who is present, you have not become as a little child. And, therefore you cannot be used by God.”

There are no words in any dictionary to describe what happened in my spirit-being as I sat at the dining table. I knew that what I heard from that Divine Teacher of teachers (the Holy Ghost) was 100% true. I knew in my heart that at times I was really timid or ashamed to pray in settings that flashed in my memory as He spoke to me. I felt ashamed and condemned.

I journeyed home completely absorbed in that visitation by the Spirit. I did some real soul-searching and praying that continued for days after returning home.

It was about 30 days later early in the morning as I awakened that I suddenly realized that I was not dealing with some demonic oppressions that I was experiencing before taking the trip. I knew that I had not attended any revival meetings, had no special laying-on of hands for prayer, and had done no particular fasting. Then it dawned on me that I had taken to heart what the Holy Ghost spoke to my spirit through that baby. I realized that I was becoming more like a little child in being unashamed to witness for the Lord or even praying for people whenever and wherever the need arose.

Note what Jesus said about becoming as a little child in Matthew 18:2-4:

2. And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The following are some noted differences between children and adults:

That particular experience occurred back around 2002 and the memory is as fresh today as it was then. It has caused me to not be so much of an adult that I deprive myself of blessings that comes to the child-like mind of humble boldness. It’s a constant battle of the mind because the dEVIL tries to inject doubt. I will close with a an excellent Biblical example:

Luke 5:4-7

4. When He [Jesus] had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5. But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
6. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
7. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

Note this: Jesus is the Creator of all things according to Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

Jesus therefore knew that the abundance of fish was in the deep: He put them there. Had Peter proceeded to use his adult reasoning as an experienced fisherman to argue with the Lord instead of assuming the humility of a little child and obeyed Him, he would have NEVER gotten what God put in the deep for him.

That scenario convinces me that the Lord will test our humility (willingness to obey Him) by sending us into the “deep” for the blessing. The significance of the deep is that what the Lord has put there is much too big to be caught in the shallow: far larger than we could think or ask. So, my brother/sister, let’s not deprive ourselves of seeing God manifest His Omnipotence by rationalizing when He speaks.

I am getting progressively better at moving more readily when the Holy Spirit speaks. The struggle is suppressing my reasoning. However, within the mystery of God’s Sovereignty He teaches me how to trust Him because I really want to do it. He IS NOT of respective person: St John 1:12 (NKJV), “. . . as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” Therefore, the Holy Ghost will teach anyone how to be childlike that truly wants to exhibit the humility of child before God. Be blessed!

Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

This verse has to me become the most important one in the Holy Bible. It’s because everything in the Bible is predicated on what God said as Apostle said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . .” If just one thing that God said failed, it would invalidate and the Christian religion.

Why I’m in ministry [evangelism] and an entrepreneur

Apostle Paul is a Biblical example. He was a tentmaker as recorded in Acts 18:3, “. . . he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.” Also, note what Paul said in Acts 20:34-35:

34. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
35. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

The references confirm that Apostle Paul had a very real encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road by virtue of the physical effect it had on him. After his conversion, Paul eventually began to work with his hands to support himself and to give finances to the ministry.

I don’t dare to any degree equate myself with Apostle Paul. But, I am deeply convinced that the Spiritual and humanitarian mission described herein was assigned to me by God. I did not ask for it.

What I do know beyond all doubt is that Miraculous Experiences in the iFrame above are instances of God’s intervention for me at impasses. They reaffirmed Isaiah 55:11. They give me to fortitude to pursue Internet marketing is an interim business to finance the development and start-up of the online advertising medium.

The article, Like Peter: Step Out Of The Boat, is a more recent lesson the Holy Spirit taught me to further reaffirm the validity of Isaiah 55:1. I therefore continue to be focused on bringing the advertising medium to fruition, which would finance the Comprehensive Evangelism program.

Renaissance In Corporate America as one aspect of having good works as Jesus said we would have in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Although I work as if the Lord will return in the next millennium, I live as if He’s returning today.

Hearing God speak

There is no special anointing on me through which I hear God’s inaudible voice. That is paradoxical because what is inaudible cannot be heard. But, with God’s voice, there is an exception.

One description is to say God’s voice can be telepathically or a thought that was not precipitated by my actions or environment. It is so definite that it’s almost audible. Or, I could say that the Holy Ghost gives me an intuition comprised of instructions and method for execution. However, the only Biblical explanation I could give is Hebrews 11:6, “. . . he [she] who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Diligently simply means to eliminate every distraction in times of prayer, fasting, and meditating on The Word, i. e., the Holy Bible.

Our Heavenly Father decides how to respond to everyone that eliminates her/his distractions. It coincides with what our Blessed Lord, Jesus, said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” On that basis, if we want to know Him and be sensitive to His voice, He will show us how to.

Occasionally it has taken days or weeks of prayer, meditation, and/or fasting for me to comprehend what God communicates so that it becomes fundamentally ingrained in my spirit [psyche] and actualized in daily living. My persistence and diligence demonstrates to God that I honor Him and want to understand. When He rewards me with understanding others [individuals and/or congregation to whom I speak] recognize that God spoke to me and they are also affected by what they hear. It NEVER ceases to astound me.

I very seldom experience the Holy Ghost speaking to me in a dialogue as He did in the lesson herein. When He does it puts me on a journey through the Bible and He charts the course.

A good example would be someone planning a trip by car originating on and east coast and driving to a west coast destination. A map would be used to chart the route. The discoveries would be scenes, i. e., points of interest, that were not shown on the map. Consequently, there would be a vast accumulation of knowledge and experiences on the trip.

That example is comparable to what I experience when God speaks to me. I take a journey through the Bible in which the destination is understanding of what God said. I discover “Biblical points of interest [and the experiences they would effect]” that I would not have if the journey had not begun. However, in God’s foreknowledge He knew what I would discover, the experiences they would produce, and what they would ignite in me: faith to persevere. Therefore, when God speaks in the present He is looking at the future: what He intends for me/you to bring to fruition and it will prosper.

The revelation of Isaiah 55:10-11

The Holy Spirit didn’t teach this lesson by an inspiration. It was a short one way instructional dialogue. It was a life changing and faith building experience. (You decide after reading the article if God really spoke to me.)

The Holy Ghost spoke to my psyche while I was on my knees in a prayer meeting conducted by Maud Batie who was affectionately called Mother Batie. The setting was a small [storefront] church in an economically deprived neighborhood. There may have been 10 [including me] in attendance.

(I remember the place where Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Son of God was born. It was a germ infested manger. He was undoubtedly laid on hay where animals drooled and fecal matter and urine were on the ground. He was not born in a palace befitting a King. And, today He may or may not visit cathedrals built in His name. So, whether its a storefront church in an economically deprived neighbor or a megachurch in wealthy suburbia, I will go to either if evidence of our Lord’s presences is manifested there.)

The Holy Ghost made me understand that in a given circumstance I would look up verses in the Bible that seems applicable to the circumstance and proceed to claim them as God’s promises to bring a resolution to it. For example, if I were ill, I would quote Isaiah 53:5, “. . . by His stripes we are healed” and claim it to be the promise that healing will be manifested. Thus, it’s as though I am endeavoring to force God to perform a healing miracle by telling Him that His Word CANNOT lie and therefore CANNOT return to Him void.

I would do this while ignoring the fact that the same Bible that says “. . . by His stripes we are healed” also says in Hebrews 9:27, “it is appointed for men to die once”. The reality is that if God healed everyone that was sick no one would die from illness.

Consider the account of Lazarus of Bethany being sick and ultimately died but was resurrected, Jesus said regarding Lazarus in John 11:4 “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Thus, He qualified Lazarus’ illness as not being terminal, whereas just by deduction some illnesses are terminal.

The Holy Ghost proceeded to speak to my psyche to tell me that if while I’m praying for God to do something and He gives me an instruction that has absolutely nothing to do with what I’m asking my obedience could bring to fruition what I’m asking. There is Biblical proof, which will soon be presented.

Let’s first look at Isaiah 55:10-11:

10. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it SHALL accomplish what I please, and it SHALL prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

The Biblical reasons for rain and snow are for them to moisten the earth. Thus, produce would grow to provide food necessary to sustain life.

God so much as said in vs. 11 that just as the rain and snow have purposes so do the words He speak. Namely, they bring to reality whatever He has on His mind and it’s done to perfection. The creation that God spoke into existence is one example and scientists are forever discovering its perfection.

(Be sure to read the article, $100,000 Blessing From Obedience. It’s about Mother Batie. It’s her testimony that exemplifies Isaiah 55:11.)

Remember that in the Old Testament God’s name is Jehovah. Now let’s refer to the New Testament.

Matthew 1:20-23 tells us that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said that his wife, Mary, would have a child and that His name would be Immanuel, which is translated, God with us.

Given that God’s name is Jehovah it’s justifiable to say that Immanuel could also mean Jehovah with us because Jesus is the incarnation of Jehovah who said in the Old Testament that His Word will not return to Him void. Therefore, Jesus could be referred to as the New Testament’s Jehovah. (See the tab, The Trinity of the One God.)

I said previously that when the Holy Ghost/Spirit gives me an instruction that has absolutely nothing to do with what I’m asking my obedience could bring to fruition what I’m asking. For proof, let’s look at examples of Jesus, the Jehovah in the New Testament, giving instructions.

The first occurence is during a wedding He attended. The wine [juice from crushed grapes] was consumed before the celebration ended. Note that Jesus is speaking in John 2:7-10:

7. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.
9. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Note the following references that teach clearly that all things were made by Jesus:

• John 1:3, All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
• John 1:10, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
• Colossians 1:16, For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him

Given that Jesus was the creator He could have simply said to the water pots, “be filled with wine”. Rather, He changed the subject by instructing the servants to fill the pots with water. And, there is no inference that he prayed for the water to become wine. But, at some moment between the servants filling the pots with water and them taking some to the master of the feast the water became wine. Jesus knew that it would because His word could not return void: had to bring to reality was on His mind.

Let’s look at another occurrence: the 10 leprous men in Luke 17:12-17:

12. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.
13. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14. So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16. and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

We see that the men asked Jesus to heal them. But, note that in Jesus’ reply He again changed the subject. He told them to go show themselves to the priest. And, as they obeyed by starting toward the priest, the healing occurred.

Note that if Jesus had not known that 10 were cleansed, He would not have asked in vs. 17 where are the nine. He knew that they were also cleansed because He was the New Testament Jehovah that said in the Old Testament that no word that went out of His mouth would return to Him void.

The Relevance To Me

I’ll take the mask off, as it were, and briefly explain my situation. Namely, I experienced a financial collapse because of making business decisions presumptuously instead of acknowledging God first by praying for directions as the Bible instructs us to do in Proverbs 3:5-6:

5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
6. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

I was presumptuous in assuming that God would bless my decisions because my intentions were/are more about ministry than my personal prosperity. More specifically, my intent was and still is to finance the evangelism program detailed in “Comprehensive Evangelism” and to accomplish “Renaissance In Corporate America“, which would be my “good works” of Matthew 5:16. However, I was obviously ahead of God’s timing. Even so, I was/am convinced that the inspirations about both objectives came from Him.

I am so very thankful for Psalms 103:13, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear [reverence, honor, and obey] Him.” Proof is in the tab, Miraculous Experiences, in the iFrame above and in the article, Miraculous Provisions To Pursue NMC.

About www.TheLawOfTheSpirit.info

I initially published the website years ago during my time of prosperity. I employed a professional website designer to design it using Front Page; a Microsoft application for designing websites. The designer did a masterful job. The header featured an opened Bible with the radiance of a bright sun in the background. The site name was under the image in a larger scripted font. It was a work of perfection. But, I took it down in downsizing after my financial collapse.

Years later the Holy Spirit spoke to my psyche and instructed me to publish the site again. I looked for the Front Page disc from which the site was built initially. It searched diligently but I could not find it. It was presumed lost during my move from my residence in a very nice suburban neighborhood to a property I own in a not-as-nice neighborhood in the city.

I telephoned Microsoft to request a replacement disc. But, I was informed that Front Page was discontinued and no longer supported. The replacement application was Microsoft Expression Web. I was further told that the upgrade to it would be $100 if I could find the lost disc.

I explained to Microsoft that the Front Page disc was lost during my move but the company has the purchase and tech support calls on record. The agent politely informed me that company policy requires giving an identification number from the disc or I CANNOT get the upgrade for $100. Without the disc, the upgrade would cost $300, which I didn’t have..

Over the next weekend, I had acquired $250 that I would put toward the $300. However, about 5:00 AM the following Monday, The Holy Ghost awoke me and spoke to psyche again and said, “you have been blessed and highly encouraged by Mother Batie’s testimony. Give her $100 as a love offering to show your appreciation for the fellowship you have with her.”

Needless to say, I was dumbfounded and deeply conflicted. I knew that God had instructed me to publish the website again and I also knew that He now instructed me to give Mother Batie $100. I struggled with that from the time I awoke to about 12:00 PM.

I called Microsoft again and pleaded with a “sob-story” but was given the same answer. Microsoft Expression Web would cost $300 without the Front Page disc.

I ultimately called Mother Batie and asked if she would be home for the next hour or so because I wanted to speak to her briefly. She said that she would. I remember hanging up the telephone, putting on a jacked, and picking up my car keys in preparation to go. Then God spoke to my psyche again.

The instruction was to call Microsoft the third time and this time ask for a supervisor, which I did. Presumably, after having been informed by the answering agent of the nature of my call, He told me the same thing I had heard the two times previously. Then he asked if I owned Microsoft Word. I answered, yes, it’s apart of Microsoft Office Professional. His response was that by me owning MS-Word and providing the key [ID number] from the disc Microsoft Expression Web would only cost me $100. I bought the it during that conversation and had $50 remaining after giving Mother Batie the $100.

There is no word, phrase, or paragraphs that can explain what I experienced emotionally nor the sensation that went through my body [and it wasn’t “goose bumps]. It was the impact from the realization that the Almighty Jehovah, the Omniscient God of the Universe, spoke to me. He knew I only had $250. He knew what I would be required to spend only $100 with Microsoft. And, He knew that I would obey His instruction to give Mother Batie $100. God knew that I would have $50 remaining.

Whatever the definition of the word, OVERWHELMED, is for me that experience raised it to another degree, exponentially, Given the broaden insight that God gave me about His Word not returning to Him void I know most assuredly that foremost He has life-changing blessings for those that read the content of this website in that people would come to know Him. And, He also has blessings for me because of my obedience.

This scenario is another reminder of what my god-mother, Inez, once said to me: She encouraged me by saying so very affectionately, “son, if God can’t trust you in the test, He will not trust you with the blessing”. Consequently, my objective is to be faithful to God in the test and after the test. I do not want to disappoint Him, thus, the basis of my perseverance.

Me knowing that it was God that inspired the publishing of this website, it will accomplish what was on His mind when He gave the inspiration. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “ I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This verse assures us that God inspires us in the present while looking our your futures. Thus, our success is inevitable if we obey the inspirations, i. e., God speaking to us. It’s because His Word cannot return to Him without accomplishing what was on His mind when He spoke.

Conclusion

The experiences I’ve had and am having are indicators that God is watching over me, has initiated the process of reversing my economic circumstances, will help me bring the evangelism program to fruition, and also help me to contribute to the revitalization of our economy. And, equally as important the experiences provide personal testimonies to share with others to encourage them.

The one thing that Isaiah 55:11 has indelibly imprinted in my psyche is that when God inspires us in the present with ideas for inventions or starting businesses He already has our future success on His mind, which would please Him. He is fully aware of what we know and don’t know and have and don’t have.

If what we don’t know and/or have doesn’t bother Him, we can’t let it bother us. Because, as with the water turning to wine and the 10 lepers being healed, obedience necessitates miracles that would inevitably bring our success. Otherwise, His word would return to Him void. (This applies to anything God inspires us to do. It’s not limited to just business.)

If this lesson speaks to you, click on Mission To Corporate America. It’s about what the Bible says explicitly about how God could use ordinary people that are believers in Jesus Christ to effect a country’s economic viability.

Another Memorable experience with Mother Batie

She always gave me the highest respect as an elder. She would alway ask me to have word for those in attendance.

I remember in one morning prayer I used the phrase, “relationship with the Lord”. After I sat down, She in a very motherly way said, “Eld White, don’t use that phrase, “relationship with the Lord”. She reminded me of 1 John 1:3 . . . our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. She continued by encouraging me to use the language in of the Bible and to not dilute it with something that sounds sophisticated.

I knew that Mother Batie was a very Spiritual lady and consequently I esteemed her as a Spiritual Mother. I therefore remembered what Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:7 in a letter to Timothy: “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” Hence, for a number of days I thought about what Mother Batie said.

Given that my passion is to please the Lord and be effective in evangelism He caused me realize something very simple but to me so powerful. Namely, two people can have a bad relationship. But, they cannot have a bad fellowship just by definition of the word.

I thought in hindsight that the phrase, relationship with the Lord, didn’t become so prominent until high profile televangelists started saying it. Then the Christian community began copying them. But, given what Mother Batie said, I stopped saying “relationship” and use “fellowship”; the language of the Bible.

I cherish the memories of Mother Batie for demonstrating her faith walk with the Lord and for encouraging me to think and speak in terms of fellowship with the Lord and to stay with the language of the Bible. I thank God for the enlightenment she gave. Be blessed, abundantly!.

Subsequent to the experience with Microsoft I discovered FlexSqueeze with which I desisgned this and the other websites I use daily for business. Reading is the only skill required for using FlexSqueeze.