Before we get into this teaching. . .we think you may need 2 Timothy 2:7 in the Classic Amplified Bible as a spiritual appetizer.

2 Timothy 2:7 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

“Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything.”

Our prayer as you read this teaching is for you to have His insight and understanding on the revelation were about to share.

Did you know there are seven traditional names of Jehovah? Most people can quote the names and tell you what they mean.

There is Jehovah Jirah, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah- nissi, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Ra’ah, Jehovah Tsidkenu and Jehovah Shamma.

We have been taught that these are the seven names of God. We even have songs about them but the truth is only three of these are actual names of Jehovah.

Jehovah Rapha is a name we find in Exodus 15:26 where God says:

This teaching may not seem at first to be a Father’s Day teaching but I assure you. . .it is. Too many children have become estranged from their Father because of offense in their childhood or adult years.

If you’ve faced such a separation from your father. . .this teaching is for you.

I was reading a book when I came across a powerful quote by Pastor Joel Osteen who said:

“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.”

Have you ever had someone say something to you that cut you to the quick? Something that wounded you deeply even though you knew they were wrong in their assessment.

I had such an experience and it wasn’t fun. . .it fact, it hurt me very deeply.

This person is someone for whom I’d done many things for over the years. . .made decisions and suggestions that literally made them millions of dollars.

What is your faith? When people ask that question. . .many expect you to say the church, denomination or a religion you align yourself with.

Are you Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim etc?

If you view faith as an organization. . .then I would say your faith is at best misplaced and most probably … dead.

What are the characteristics of dead faith?

First, dead faith is merely head knowledge.

Intellectual agreement by itself is tragically inadequate.

James 2:19 in the New Living Translation says:

Have you ever been in a serious thunderstorm. . .or maybe even a hurricane or tornado?

I’ve never been in a tornado but I have been through some dangerous hurricanes and many serious thunderstorms.

During our time in Texas. . .it was not unusual to have thunderstorms with 60-70 mile-an-hour winds and frequent lightning strikes. I remember one storm where there were over 1,000 lighting strikes in an hour.

When serious storms come up. . .we’re looking for a safe place.

How would you react if you were in the middle of the sea when a violent storm arose?

Mark 4:37 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.”

The disciples and Jesus were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm began to rage. The disciples were frightened, fearful and faithless in the midst of what they perceived to be a potentially, deadly situation.

Here are seven keys when facing the adversities of life.

God’s promises should be our expectation.

Say this with me. . .

God’s promises are my expectation.

God’s promises are my expectation for every new day.

All God’s promises are in written form in His Word, the Bible, which is the divine authentic revelation of the divine mind and purpose.

The written form of the promises becomes a promissory note. . .a written promise to fulfill a declared benefit for each one of God’s children.

One scholar says the Scripture contains 30,000 promises related to every believer.

But, truthfully, knowing the Bible holds thousands of promises is not enough.

Here’s the real question. . .

I will always remember the first person who said to me. . .you don’t know the problems I’ve got.

I said, “you’re right and I don’t want to know.”

It’s not that I wasn’t compassionate about his situation … but I knew I had to provoke this man’s thinking because his focus was on his problems and not his solution.

I told him that circumstances are defined as the circle you’re standing in . . . but if you’re moving from glory unto glory. . .you will be leaving your circumstances and problems behind.

Then I shared with him Romans 8:26 in The Living Bible which says:

“And in the same way—by our faith—the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words.”

I’m not sure why this event came to my remembrance, but it prompted me to share with you four ways to deal with whatever problems you’re facing.

First, you can run away from your problem.

You have an enemy of your destiny who wants you to fail in everything your hands find to do. He uses three weapons. . .temptation, accusation and deception.

One you get born-again the devil wants to neutralize your effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. He will lie to you about everything. . .because after all, he's the father of lies and the truth is not in him.

John 8:44 Classic Amplified Bible says:

“You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.”

The devil is not stupid. . . but he keeps using the same tricks, traps, lies, wiles and deception all the time.

In this teaching. . .we’re going to expose twelve of the greatest lies of the devil. But, first, we want to encourage you in the midst in any adversity with two powerful scriptures.

First, Colossians 3:16 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

On a recent Rich Thoughts for Breakfast call the word increase was in the text four or five times and so was the word capacity.

Later, as I was meditating, the Lord led me to Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 in the Message Bible which says:

“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.”

As I’ve read and re-read these verses. . .I was stirred by Ecclesiastes 5:19 which says:

“Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it.”

The word capacity ignited in my spirit and God showed me seven ways to increase our capacity for success as we move in His blessing flow.

But first, let’s lay a foundation for this teaching.

I’ve read Isaiah 54 many times. . .generally focusing on verse 17 particularly in the Classic Amplified Bible which says:

When I was dating my fine wife Bev. . .there was a popular song by Diana Ross entitled “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

“If you need me, call me

No matter where you are

No matter how far

Just call my name

I'll be there in a hurry

On that you can depend and never worry”

The lyrics to the chorus are:

“Ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough

Ain't no river wild enough

To keep me from you”

Was there a moment, a point in time when you wanted to be somebody special or to do something bold, daring or humanitarian. Maybe you want ed to go places where others could only wish about...and achieve your greatest dream.

What was it? What was your dream?

My first dream career was to be an archeologist. This was long before Indiana Jones (not too long, I’m not that old). . .though he would have been certainly more inspiring than the real source of my motivation.

The original source was “The Mummy” and I don’t mean the one of the past ten years.   During my childhood I watch the movie with Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff. It was a time when horror movies used real suspense and not that the gore of today. The idea of finding the tombs of hidden Pharaohs intrigued me.

But that dream so gave way, to my determination to be a professional baseball player. . .I was going to play first base for the New York Yankees. A back surgery ended that dream.

Next, it was to be the youngest United States Senator ever elected from North Carolina. . .when I was in high school, I made a list of the 19 steps it would take me to make that dream come true. I had completed 16 of them when things changed rather dramatically in my life.