Make no mistake about it. . .if God promises you something. . .makes a covenant with you. . .it’s going to happen . . . unless you somehow violate His instructions or turn from your course.  Your circumstances don’t matter. . .the problems that you’re currently facing don’t matter. . . but your obedience to His Word does.

Having said that. . .let me tell you there are going to be times when you wonder what’s going on. . .simply because you may not be able to perceive that God is working in and through your life to manifest His precious promises.

During these times. . .it’s critical to understand there is definitely an enemy waiting in the shadows hoping to veer you off course – his goal is knock you out so you NEVER manifest God’s promises.

God miraculously delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.  His promises were confirmed through signs and wonders and finally the children of Israel were marching out of tyranny into freedom. . .destined for the Promised Land as His promises were manifested.

The children of Israel encountered some adversity in their journey to freedom and abundance.  They may have felt dismayed but that never altered the promises of God.  His goal was the same as in the beginning.  They may have wondered but God never wavered.

Exodus 34:10 says:

We have taught the story of Isaac sowing in the midst of an economic famine and reaping a hundredfold return many, many times to audiences around the world.

I’ve spoken, taught and preached how God told Isaac in Genesis 26:2 to “. . . Go not down into Egypt. . .” more times than I can remember.

However, as I was listening to Dr. Mark Barclay talk about this scripture at the 2011 Kenneth Copeland’s Ministers Conference, something stirred in me.

I wrote down exactly what the Lord was giving me at that very moment and it is the outline for this message. . . “Seven Reasons To Stay Out Of Egypt.”

At a time when everyone else was following the world system by heading to Egypt to escape the economic hard times . . . God told Isaac to stay put. 

Unfortunately, way too many believers follow the “wisdom” of the world when it comes to their personal finances as opposed to following the instructions found in the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

People. . .even born-again, Holy Spirit filled, church-going believers. . .tend to value the advice of their banker and financial planner more than they do their man or woman of God showing them principles God put in His Word.

The Bible is not a book of exceptions, exemptions and excused behavior.  It is a book of principles that work.  The Bible says what it means and it means for you to obey without hesitation.  It is not a book of convenience . . . obeying its instructions when you feel like it.

Like others you may have prayed for change during this year. One where you could birth a new habit, turn lack into more than enough and accomplish the goals you set for 2023.

In a time of prayer, God directed my attention to Daniel 10:12-13 where He drew a direct parallel to what happened to Daniel and what may have happened to you.

“Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words.”

Here are seven keys to getting your prayers answered.

1.      Fear Not

In the King James Version of the Bible we’re told nine times that we should be “born again.”  So I think it’s fair to say that being born again is significant and obviously important to God.  After all, He paid the ultimate price by sending His only begotten Son that we should not perish but have everlasting and abundant life. . .by being born again.

Would it surprise you to know that in the King James Version of the Bible were told SIXTY-THREE times to “fear not?”

Let’s look at some of those verses.

First, God wants us to eliminate all fear of failure.

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) to administer immediate assistance or provide transportation?

I remember when a volunteer Rescue Squad was formed in my hometown of LaGrange, North Carolina.  This dedicated group of men and women donated their time for training and responding to emergency situations.

I also remember that every time the LaGrange Rescue Squad was dispatched on an emergency call. . .it was reported in our local newspaper, The Weekly Gazette.  It’s a bit humorous (kinda) that everything reported from having a baby to having a heart attack was referred to as a “sudden illness.”

Over the years, the title of the organization evolved into EMTs. . .truthfully, the name does have a little more pizazz.

The protocols used by EMTs has an amazing parallel to spiritual EMTs otherwise known as “Emergency Miracle Technician.”

Now you’re probably wondering who in the world is an Emergency Miracle Technician and how in the world. . .do you become designated, trained and identified as such.

Is the spiritual EMT your pastor. . .it could be.

Is the spiritual EMT anyone operating in any of the other ministry gifts listed in what we traditionally refer to as the five-fold ministry offices. .  .apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher and pastor. . .it could be.

Actually, an Emergency Miracle Technician is anyone who believes the Word of God and has the faith to manifest the promises in the book.

Daniel 6:27 in the New Living Translation says:

“He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Recently. .I was pondering a question that demands an answer.

Do we want to succeed enough to plan our action and then act on the plan?

It’s one thing to think about what we want to do. . .and that’s good. . .just not good enough.

It’s another thing to talk/speak/confess what we want to do. . .that’s good. . .just not good enough.

It’s something else to plan what we’re thinking about. . .and that’s good. . .just not good enough.

However, what we’re thinking, speaking and planning will never become a reality until we actually act on what we’ve been thinking, speaking and planning.

Here are seven keys to guarantee your plans will succeed.

Action # 1     Think about something. . .good.

Proverbs 23:7 says:

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. . .”

Have you ever had someone. . .perhaps your spouse or best friend. . .ask you what you were thinking about. . .only to say “nothing.”

The story of David and Goliath is probably the favorite story of most all children. . .I know it was mine.

The giants that you and I face define our identity and establish the reality in which we’ve chosen to live.  The giants we face and defeat outline the places and spaces where we’ve chosen to live.

The giants in our lives. . .are determined to keep us out of our promised land where the promises of God are manifested.

By the way, you’re in your promised land. . .right now. . .the question is whether or not we embrace His promises to make it a land flowing with milk and honey. . .abundance and success.

Our ability to face and defeat our giants. . .will determine the extent of the success we achieve.

Slaying our giants will move us from a life of mediocrity to unlimited success.  And, yes, from fear to freedom.

While our giants aren’t necessarily physical, they are nevertheless foreboding and at times, terrifying.

It’s not unusual for us to wage an internal, mental war on when and how to face our giants.

Failure is an event. . .it’s not who you are.  Failure is never final if you have the God-given desire and direction to change your destiny.

Here are the A to Z’s on how to turn failure straight into success.

A-Admit it when you mess up.  The best way to overcome failure is to face it, learn from it and move on.

Proverbs 28:13 in The Living Bible says:

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”

B-Boldy refuse to accept failure as final regardless of how badly you may have messed up. 

On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmond Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest. . ..29,000 feet straight up. He was knighted for his efforts.

People remember his triumph but few people know that he failed in his first attempt a year earlier.

Later he was asked to speak to an audience that recognized his first attempt at greatness. But Edmund Hillary saw himself as a failure.

He walked to the edge of the platform, made a fist and pointed at a picture of Mount Everest. Then he said in a loud voice:

Do you have “it”?  You should have…

Romans 12:8 in the New International Version says:

“If it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

Everybody should have the gift of encouragement.

“Well, I’m not sure God wanted me to have that gift.”  Then it’s apparent that you’ve never read Hebrews 3:13 in the Amplified Bible:

“But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him].”

We’re to encourage one another. . .HOW OFTEN?. . .EVERY DAY.

So let’s look at what encouragement means.

According to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary the word encouragement is defined as:

“1. The act of encouraging; incitement to action or to practice; 2. That which serves to incite, support, promote, or advance, as favor, countenance, reward, etc.; incentive; increase of confidence.”

William Arthur Ward, noted for his inspiration maxims, said:

“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.”

An unknown writer once said:

Have you ever read a scripture that just ignited a mental firestorm. . . stirring your spirit and energizing your fingers on a laptop keyboard?

Here’s the scripture that fired me up today.

Proverbs 12:24 in the New Living Translation says:

“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.”

As I read that scripture I began thinking about the differences between successful and unsuccessful people.

Brian Tracy, a noted author and success teacher, said:

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'”

Being successful is not necessarily the result of your education, experience, family background or luck. . .but neither is being unsuccessful the result of those same things.

Here are twelve differences between successful and unsuccessful people.

1.      Successful people make plans. . .unsuccessful people make excuses.

For most of my life I was taught that talents were gifts of abilities and not financial gifts.  That’s not the case… talents as discussed in Matthew 25 is clearly defined as money.

If you have any doubt about the accuracy of what I’m saying… consider Matthew 25:16 in the New English Translation Bible:

“The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more.”

Next, take a look at Matthew 25:18-19 also in the New English Translation Bible which says:

“But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money in it.”

I realize some people might say, “Well, yes but you’re just quoting those new -fangled translations.  What does the King James Version say?”

Glad you asked.

Matthew 25:18 in the King James Version says:

“But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.”

He hid his Lord’s what. . .oh, yes. . .MONEY.

Growing up. . .I saw illustrations in church with a fifty-cent piece or a silver talent representing a talent. . . yet that’s far from the truth.

In Jesus’ day, a talent referred to a large sum of money.  According to the commentary found in the Dake Bible, one talent equaled roughly $29,000.