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:

Have you ever been to a potluck dinner?

In North Carolina, where I was raised. . .potluck meals were often referred to as “Sunday dinner on the grounds” where everybody brought their favorite dish or dishes.  It was like a church-wide picnic.

The food was generally so good it would make your tongue slap your tonsils.  Please notice that I said generally. . .that was not always the case.

I can remember on numerous occasions where I sampled a particular dish and then prayed for the family that had to eat/endure that kind of cooking.

Bottom line. . .at potluck gatherings. . .you always dine on what others are serving. . .whether the food is nutritious, delicious or just plain awful. At least you get to choose.

Now, there’s a difference when you know the background of this dish.  It was great when you knew the cook fixed up one of the best dishes of chicken and dumplings in the entire county.  Then again, there were other dishes where you not only didn’t know who fixed it but it was a little questionable about what was in it.

Sadly, too many believers have a potluck mentality where they are willing to  feed on whatever thoughts others are serving to them.

In today’s economy, you’ve got the gloom and doomers.

These folks believe the world is going to hell in a hand basket and it’s God’s judgment upon this wicked nation and world.

By the way, if someone tells you the world is going to hell in a hand basket…tell them you’ve chosen not to go so they can go ahead and keep your ticket since they’re so excited about the journey.

This group includes:  the folks more concerned about going up in the rapture than growing up in Jesus.

10.  Never stereotype anyone based on their net worth or the lack thereof.

  9.  How a person responds to having money will reveal their true character…who they really are.  Money is just a reflection of us.

  8.  Your potential isn’t limited by your actions but rather your beliefs.  Mark 9:23.

  7.  You have something special to achieve in your life because God made sure you were born…you are not an accident.  Jeremiah 1:5

  6.  Never let what you can’t do…keep you from doing what you can do…today.

Here are the Top 5 Rich Thoughts Nuggets of the week.

  5.  Delay is a favorite deceptive and tactical weapon of the enemy.  It fuels the doubts he seeks to create.

  4. It’s the character of a person’s heart and not the balance in their checkbook or lack thereof that determines who they are.

  3.  Our destiny is determined by choice not by chance.

  2.  Never be moved by your circumstances or the opinions of others...base your decisions on the Word of God and nothing else.

And the # 1 Rich Thoughts Nugget you selected is:

1. The fastest way to get into financial trouble is to compare yourself to others and what they have or don’t have.

A couple of weeks ago, I felt impressed to write a teaching entitled “7 Ways to Meet A King Or Be One.”

God immediately gave me the seven ways. . .and I started writing this teaching but then I felt led to put it down.

Recently, I received a Facebook direct message from a lady that read:

“Can You PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Tell Me Where I Can Study "Wealth Management" (without charge).  Many Times Our Great MENTOR Has Referred To A GOD-WOMAN, A True Queen, A PROVERBS 31 WOMAN, Understanding WEALTH MANAGEMENT and since I Do NOT Really know What That Means, I TRULY DESIRE With ALL My Being To Acquire KNOWLEDGE Of That Which I Will NEED. Because One of These GLORIOUS DAYS My Heavenly Father Will Divinely SPIRIT-CONNECT Me To The GOD-MAN GOD, A True Proverbs 31 MAN, A True King, That In Eternity Past He Created Me For. I TRULY Need To Understand ALL That Is Embraced Within The Principals Of WEALTH MANGEMENT...”

As I read and re-read this message. . .I immediately realized three things.

One of my favorite Easter songs is “He’s Alive” by Ray Boltz. It’s a powerful narrative of the Resurrection and it always gives me glory bumps.

The chorus says:

He's alive, He's alive

He's alive and I'm forgiven

Heaven's gates are open wide

Can somebody say Hallelujah!!!

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 says:

Have you ever met someone who was educated beyond their intelligence?  People who think they know more than they do. . .or that they always have the right answers, no matter what.

I’ve met my share of Christians who feel they’re more spiritually mature. . .advanced beyond us ordinary Christians.  I suspect that somewhere in the Bible there is a verse or twoconcerning self-gratification or spiritual pride.

At one point I had a brief conversation with someone who said: “I heard you talking about focus but you need to know that word is not in the King James Bible.”

My first mental response was less than a spiritual one, but I fortunatelyregained my spiritual focus before saying that the word focus is in the Amplified Version (1);  God’s Word Translation (28); Message Bible (28) and the New Living Translation (4). 

He quickly said that may be true but it’s not in the King James Bible.

Why were you born?

I can tell you. . .it wasn’t just because your Mom and Dad wanted to have a baby as beautiful as you.

You were born for a purpose. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb.

Yet, too few believers understand their purpose or why they were born.

Ephesians 5:14:

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

According to Strong’s Concordance the word sleepest means “to fall asleep” but it also means:

“to yield to sloth and sin” and “to be indifferent to one's salvation.”

The Lord kept bringing the phrase indifferent to one’s salvation back to my remembrance and I was prompted to ask this question.

What does it mean to be indifferent to one’s salvation?

Dictionary.com defines indifferent as:

Have you ever had someone say. . . “I’ve been thinking about you?”

While we assume those thoughts are good. . .we have no idea what they’re thinking or how long they thought about us.

On a spiritual level. . .God does bring people to our minds. . .people he wants us to pray for.

In this teaching, I want to talk about someone who thinks about you 24/7.

1 Peter 5:7 in The Living Bible says:

“Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.”

He is “always thinking about you.”

Not only that but He is “watching everything that concerns you.”

Can somebody say “Hallelujah”?  You need to stop and really embrace that.

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 40:17 in The Living Bible which says:

Over the years, I have sadly had a large number of people talk to me with tears in their eyes about how they lost everything they owned because of bad advice from well-meaning friends and family members..

Couples who got in on the ground floor of a ‘can’t miss,’ explosive money-making opportunity at the urging of a family member or friend only to watch the company go belly up and their money disappear faster than an ice cube on a hot summer’s day.

Dreamers who were robbed of their dreams by the doubts of someone who’s biggest decision is whether to have next Saturday’s breakfast at iHop or Cracker Barrel. 

Listening to the wrong people give unwise advice.

I could go on with other sad stories I’ve heard but let’s move on with seven reasons not to take their word for it.

First, when I say don’t take their word for it. . .let me clarify who ‘they’ are.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I remember learning The Golden Rule early in life.

Later in school. . .I learned the modified version.

“Do unto others before they have a chance to do it unto you.”

As an adult, I learned yet another version of The Golden Rule.  This one says:

“If you’ve got the gold. . .you make the rules.”