With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 (NKJV)
As we come to a principle as profound as the one presented to us in Romans 8:28, we need to begin with a basic understanding about something: God's ability to make good on the claim to work all things together for the ultimate good of His people. If we don't believe God is actually able to do this, then we'll have a hard time believing He actually will.
That's an uncertainty we don't need to be held captive by because the Bible tells us two things about God that prove His ability to fulfill Romans 8:28.
First, the Bible tells us that God is omniscient. "Omni" means all, and "science" means to know. There is nothing that can be known that is not known by God. He's fully aware of every event and happening that has ever taken place from one end of the universe to the other. He has absolute awareness of every fact and factor. The atomic number of hydrogen, the height of the Empire State Building , the way your co-worker looks at you, the crack in the driveway six doors down, the thoughts you're thinking as you read this...God knows it all.
Secondly, Scripture also assures us that God is omnipotent. Again, "omni" means all, and "potence" means power. God is all-powerful. When He determines to do something, there is no question about it being done because His power knows no limitations. The earth needs the sun to sustain life, and God is able to provide it according to His power. Mankind requires redemption, and God's power provides it. No matter how massive or monumental the task, God's power is always sufficient.
Now, put these two attributes together and you can see how God is able to work all things together for our good. He knows every detail about everything happening in our lives, and His limitless power allows Him to control them in a way that always benefits us in the end. Regardless of how impossible things might seem, all things are possible with the God who is able to use them for our good.
Think About It…
Answai T. White, B.S., M.Div.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
How's Your Vision?
How’s your vision?
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance Acts 10:9-10 (NKJV)
Yesterday, we discussed how Paul received a vision of a man begging for his help in Macedonia . This vision was instrumental in Paul discerning a door that God had opened for him. But this isn't the only instance where God used a vision to reveal His will.
In Acts Chapter 10, Peter went to the top of a house to pray, where he suddenly fell into a trance and was given a vision by God. Up to that point, Peter had assumed Jesus came to save Jews but not Gentiles. The vision God gave Peter showed him it was just as much God's will for Gentiles to be saved through faith in Christ as it was Jews (Acts 10:11-16).
It was an important step forward in God's will for both Peter and the Church.
"So, should I expect my life to be filled with visions?" Let's go back to that word trance, which is "a condition where a person's normal state of mind is temporarily suspended." While we see that a vision can be biblical, we also need to see that by very definition it's not normal.
Here's the balance we need to strike when it comes to visions: We need to be open to the possibility that God may use them in our lives, but we need to temper this with the understanding that they are unusual.
It's a big red flag if someone is constantly talking about a "vision" or "revelation" God gave him or her. Again, it's not the norm. However, if someone with the reputation of being stable-minded receives something similar to what Peter and Paul experienced, and if it doesn't contradict anything we see in scripture, then it's quite possible God gave it to them.
Visions should never be the primary or only means of discerning God's will, but they can be used to get us to see things God's way.
Think about it…
Answai T. White, B.S., M.Div.
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance Acts 10:9-10 (NKJV)
Yesterday, we discussed how Paul received a vision of a man begging for his help in Macedonia . This vision was instrumental in Paul discerning a door that God had opened for him. But this isn't the only instance where God used a vision to reveal His will.
In Acts Chapter 10, Peter went to the top of a house to pray, where he suddenly fell into a trance and was given a vision by God. Up to that point, Peter had assumed Jesus came to save Jews but not Gentiles. The vision God gave Peter showed him it was just as much God's will for Gentiles to be saved through faith in Christ as it was Jews (Acts 10:11-16).
It was an important step forward in God's will for both Peter and the Church.
"So, should I expect my life to be filled with visions?" Let's go back to that word trance, which is "a condition where a person's normal state of mind is temporarily suspended." While we see that a vision can be biblical, we also need to see that by very definition it's not normal.
Here's the balance we need to strike when it comes to visions: We need to be open to the possibility that God may use them in our lives, but we need to temper this with the understanding that they are unusual.
It's a big red flag if someone is constantly talking about a "vision" or "revelation" God gave him or her. Again, it's not the norm. However, if someone with the reputation of being stable-minded receives something similar to what Peter and Paul experienced, and if it doesn't contradict anything we see in scripture, then it's quite possible God gave it to them.
Visions should never be the primary or only means of discerning God's will, but they can be used to get us to see things God's way.
Think about it…
Answai T. White, B.S., M.Div.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Brotha Magazine's Best Book of 2011
Brotha Magazine is proud to announce that Patrick Shaffer's book "Love Again A Spirtual Memoir" has been chosen as its BEST BOOK OF 2011. "Love Again dares to express what most men feel, but fear to say-and what every women longs to hear. This book challengens preconceived notions about the depth of masculine emotion whil paving a pathway to self-recovery and healing."
Charles Clark, Brotha Magazine's Publisher/Editor says ....
"Whether you are single, dating, married, separated, or divorced Patrick's book is a must read. His transparency will help you uncover what you have tried to bury and help you to know that you will LOVE AGAIN"
For more information about "Love Again" visit: www.patrickdshaffer.com/
For info on the Brotha Magazine please visit Brotha Magazine @ www.brothaonline.com or email us at info@brothaonline.com. A press release will be available shortly.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Jeremiah
The words of Jeremiah...to whom the word of the LORD came... Jeremiah 1:1-2 (NKJV)
Of all the books of prophecy in the Bible, Jeremiah's is the most personal. Large sections of Jeremiah are descriptive of what was happening in this prophet's heart as he follows through with the task that God had called him to...and it was one of the most difficult tasks the Lord had ever assigned to someone.
From the start, God told Jeremiah his audience wouldn't receive him, and his ministry wouldn't appear successful to outward eyes (Jeremiah 1:18). That didn't matter, however. Jeremiah was to speak for the Lord, no matter how unreceptive the people were. And he did. He faithfully carried out his duties as a prophet of the Lord for more than forty years.
But as hard as Jeremiah's ministry was, he had a secret weapon. He had something that always overcame the adversity he faced. He had an uninhibited connection with God. Over and over again, the Book of Jeremiah gives us snapshots of the back-and-forth between the prophet and the Lord. And what we see is a man who was real with God when he was truly suffering. Here's just a small sampling:
"Let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously...woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me...Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?" Jeremiah 12:1, 15:10, 18 (NKJV)
Do you see how real and raw Jeremiah is with the Lord? He doesn't approach God in a detached or cold way but speaks to Him like a real person...because He is.
Sadly, a lot of people don't have that kind of connection with the Lord. Even many Christians never feel the freedom to be this honest when they pray to Him.
Don't let that be true of you. Be respectful and reverent towards God, but at the same time be as real with Him as Jeremiah was.
Think About It…
Answai T. White, B.S., M.Div., C.P.E.
Of all the books of prophecy in the Bible, Jeremiah's is the most personal. Large sections of Jeremiah are descriptive of what was happening in this prophet's heart as he follows through with the task that God had called him to...and it was one of the most difficult tasks the Lord had ever assigned to someone.
From the start, God told Jeremiah his audience wouldn't receive him, and his ministry wouldn't appear successful to outward eyes (Jeremiah 1:18). That didn't matter, however. Jeremiah was to speak for the Lord, no matter how unreceptive the people were. And he did. He faithfully carried out his duties as a prophet of the Lord for more than forty years.
But as hard as Jeremiah's ministry was, he had a secret weapon. He had something that always overcame the adversity he faced. He had an uninhibited connection with God. Over and over again, the Book of Jeremiah gives us snapshots of the back-and-forth between the prophet and the Lord. And what we see is a man who was real with God when he was truly suffering. Here's just a small sampling:
"Let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously...woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me...Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?" Jeremiah 12:1, 15:10, 18 (NKJV)
Do you see how real and raw Jeremiah is with the Lord? He doesn't approach God in a detached or cold way but speaks to Him like a real person...because He is.
Sadly, a lot of people don't have that kind of connection with the Lord. Even many Christians never feel the freedom to be this honest when they pray to Him.
Don't let that be true of you. Be respectful and reverent towards God, but at the same time be as real with Him as Jeremiah was.
Think About It…
Answai T. White, B.S., M.Div., C.P.E.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
God Doesn't Bail
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. 2 Timothy 4:17 (NKJV)
Chronologically, the Book of 2 Timothy is the last letter written by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It's an interesting and invaluable letter because it gives us a snapshot of what things were like for him towards the tail end of his prolific ministry
.Now, here is what may come as a surprise to many of us: While Paul impacted countless lives over the course of his missionary journeys, and although he had a healthy following of helpers and supporters throughout most of his life, many (if not most) had turned against him as his ministry came to a close.
That's hard for us to fathom. But Paul is the one who tells us that aside from Luke, all of the closest companions who had been by his side had forsaken him (2 Timothy 4:10-16). Process that for a second. After all the blood, sweat, and tears, Paul found himself with several knives in his back, courtesy of those he had trusted and invested in most.
Undoubtedly, Paul shed more than his share of tears, but he didn't crumple under the weight of this heartbreak. He had something stronger that supported him through it. Man had done the unthinkable to him, but there was a greater reality at work in the Apostle's life. Despite being forsaken by his closest earthly companions, the Lord stood by his side and didn't go anywhere.
God doesn't bail on us even when everybody else does. Regardless of how many turn their backs on us, the Lord never will. Every friend may abandon and betray us. Yet even if that should happen, we'll still be able to say as Paul did, "But the Lord."
For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)
Think About It...
Answai White
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Message
Has the church failed in teaching the saints true doctrine? Has the church migrated away from what has been taught to us down throughout the years? I ask this because one night as I was flipping through the religious programming channels, the message that was being preached was that of prosperity, sowing and reaping, tithing to receive the financial blessing of God, so on and so forth.
Now, do not mistake what I am saying. I am all for the teaching and educating the saints on how obedience leads to positive repercussions. However, have we now traded in holiness for membership? Have we come to the point that we will sacrifice living right for numbers on Sunday morning? Holiness is indeed a lifestyle that not only has rewards but consequences. How many churches still teach the fundamental heaven and hell are indeed real message, and I mean not just in New Membership class? We are living in an age where even the very elect of God are being deceived, thinking that they can live any kind of way and still go to heaven! The saints are clubbing throughout the week, singing and laying hands on Sunday morning. Any and everything just about is going on within the walls of the Temple, and no one wants to step up and speak against for fear of being out of place because of a lack of a title in front of their name.
Romans 3:23 declares it plainly, that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Galatians 3:22 declares that the Scripture has confined ALL under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. No single person is excluded from sin, as the above scriptures can confirm. But those of us who were once sinners have obtained the promise of Jesus Christ by having faith that He has forgiven us of our sin. This is the fundamental teaching that the church must never forsake, for before Jesus ever began to reveal the mysteries of heaven and taught that good measure pressed down and shaken together would men give into our bosom, he preached these words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17).
Now, do not mistake what I am saying. I am all for the teaching and educating the saints on how obedience leads to positive repercussions. However, have we now traded in holiness for membership? Have we come to the point that we will sacrifice living right for numbers on Sunday morning? Holiness is indeed a lifestyle that not only has rewards but consequences. How many churches still teach the fundamental heaven and hell are indeed real message, and I mean not just in New Membership class? We are living in an age where even the very elect of God are being deceived, thinking that they can live any kind of way and still go to heaven! The saints are clubbing throughout the week, singing and laying hands on Sunday morning. Any and everything just about is going on within the walls of the Temple, and no one wants to step up and speak against for fear of being out of place because of a lack of a title in front of their name.
Romans 3:23 declares it plainly, that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Galatians 3:22 declares that the Scripture has confined ALL under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. No single person is excluded from sin, as the above scriptures can confirm. But those of us who were once sinners have obtained the promise of Jesus Christ by having faith that He has forgiven us of our sin. This is the fundamental teaching that the church must never forsake, for before Jesus ever began to reveal the mysteries of heaven and taught that good measure pressed down and shaken together would men give into our bosom, he preached these words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17).
Monday, June 27, 2011
To Live is Christ .....
There was a status on Facebook that I once read that said this: to know Christ is to know what life is about. To not know Christ is to wonder what life is all about. It brought to my attention the scripture that reads that “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain..” (Phil1:21)
In my opinion, one of the better benefits of living the life of a saint of God is that in dying, I actually am closer to living the life I was created to live. I know that was kind of heavy, but that is why it is written that Christ goes to prepare a place for us. Quite frankly, this is not our home. We simply are strangers passing through a barren land. But we have to understand that we are not to become INFECTED with the things of this world, but to AFFECT those people that are in the world. We quote Matthew 6:33 all of the time, have epiphanies, revelations and assumptions about it and STILL miss the fundamental point that it is the business of God to care for His people if they set their affections on the things that have nothing to do with this perishing planet.
Christ came for a people who would carry out the purpose of God, the will of God. He came for those who were lost in their way, and revealed that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He extended to us the invitation to live the life that He lives with his father. It is funny how there are efforts to extend life, clone humans, and look younger. Here is a simple solution: accept Christ, and live forever! Ultimately, to live life as the world is to live unto death, but to live life unto Christ is to invest in a hope and a future that includes a mansion, rest, heavenly treasures, but most of all, basking in the presence of the almighty God!
In my opinion, one of the better benefits of living the life of a saint of God is that in dying, I actually am closer to living the life I was created to live. I know that was kind of heavy, but that is why it is written that Christ goes to prepare a place for us. Quite frankly, this is not our home. We simply are strangers passing through a barren land. But we have to understand that we are not to become INFECTED with the things of this world, but to AFFECT those people that are in the world. We quote Matthew 6:33 all of the time, have epiphanies, revelations and assumptions about it and STILL miss the fundamental point that it is the business of God to care for His people if they set their affections on the things that have nothing to do with this perishing planet.
Christ came for a people who would carry out the purpose of God, the will of God. He came for those who were lost in their way, and revealed that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He extended to us the invitation to live the life that He lives with his father. It is funny how there are efforts to extend life, clone humans, and look younger. Here is a simple solution: accept Christ, and live forever! Ultimately, to live life as the world is to live unto death, but to live life unto Christ is to invest in a hope and a future that includes a mansion, rest, heavenly treasures, but most of all, basking in the presence of the almighty God!
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