2 Peter 3:9 says:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

As I was reading this verse. . .God stirred in me to make a statement and then ask you and me a question. . .which He wants us to ponder before we answer.

First, here’s the statement. . .God is not slack concerning His promises and neither should we be.

Second, here’s the question? Are we spiritual slackers?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines slacker as:

“Moving slowly; sluggish; lacking in activity; not busy.”

When it comes to activating and appropriating His promises into our daily life. . .God does not want us moving slowly. A lack of spiritual activity on our behalf will most certainly be a subject of conversation on Judgment Day.

Did you know that the way we perceive God can keep us from knowing the truth about Him? It’s true.

Your perception of a person, even if it is wrong, will keep you from seeing him or her as they really are. That is the reason I make this statement:

You will have the God you perceive.

I encourage you to write down those seven words and get them engrafted into your spirit.

You will have the God you perceive.

Understand this is true in all aspects, however, since we teach finances, we will approach the financial side.

If you perceive Him as a poor God, you will always think He is trying to get money from you. But when you understand He is a rich God, you will realize His principles are designed to get money to you.

Your perception of God and His relationship to your financial status will cause you to see Him in one of two ways: He will be either Jehovah Needy or Jehovah Jireh.

According to the Bible, God is Jehovah Jireh and is ready and able to prosper and abundantly bless you beyond all you can imagine or think.

He is not Jehovah Needy, standing with His hand out trying to get all you have for his own selfish need.

Are you at a turning point in your life?

Do you need to change from living in lack to walking in abundance?

Do you need to experience the healing touch of Jehovah Rapha?

Do you need to see your long-lost family members born-again and proclaiming Jesus as the Lord of their lives?

Is your spirit ready to embrace a turning point moment?

1 Thessalonians 1:9 in The Living Bible says:

“For they keep telling us about the wonderful welcome you gave us, and how you turned away from your idols to God so that now the living and true God only is your Master.”

People who experience turning points do so for typically two reasons. They become inspired to change … or the more common, they experience a life-changing circumstance (loss of a job) or a catastrophic event (divorce, health challenge etc.) that forces them to change.

Reaching a turning point in our lives. . .normally involves three things.

First, a message we’ve heard. . .that provoked our thinking.

For sports fans this is an exciting time of the year.

The high school, college and professional football seasons are getting underway.

Major league baseball is just a month or so away from the World Series which I hope the New York Yankees win. Of course, that’s my personal preference.

When we think of champions. . .we think of those who win sports titles. . .either as a team or through individual efforts.

It is not easy to become a champion. . .it takes determination. . .practice. . .exercise. . . discipline and, yes. . .commitment to never give up, give in, back up, back down, sit down, quit or walk away until victory is achieved.

God has given each of us the heart of a champion far beyond the field of athletic endeavor. Much like most earthly fathers who want their children to be champions in whatever they undertake. . .our Heavenly Father desires for you and I. . .His children to win in the game of life.

By the way, if you didn’t have an earthly father to root you on for whatever reason … you do have a heavenly Father who is in your corner during every bout. He wants you to come out swinging to put every obstacle in your rear view mirror and excel in life.

The old saying that it’s darkest before the dawn is certainly true in a natural sense. It’s pitch black outside as I was led to Matthew 13:23. . .it’s not a subject that I’d planned to write about. After all, this particular scripture is quoted by every preacher/teacher who ever taught about sowing, reaping and the hundredfold.

But God gave me a different approach to the verse. . .He wanted me to write about the seven keys to a Matthew 13:23 and your hundredfold harvest.

Matthew 13:23 says:

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

1.         Where does the seed you sow come from?

In the parable of the sower there are three verses (Matthew 13:19,22,23) where we’re told that the sower received seed.

The question is where did the sower receive seed from?

2 Corinthians 9:10 in the Amplified Bible gives us this answer:

“And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [ which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].”

God provides seed to the sower.