Realizing Spiritual Results

Psalm 37:6

"And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday."

A young evangelist recently asked me about some of the obstacles he would face as an evangelist. There are many obstacles an evangelist will face, but one of the glaring obstacles is realizing spiritual results. Evangelists often get to see immediate results in their ministry, but realizing long-term results will be hard to see. Let me explain. Pastors and church members get to see immediate results as well, but they also get to see the long term results of their service to the LORD because they are in one place for many years. On the other hand, an evangelist doesn't get to see those long term results unless the LORD brings them across the path of those whom they helped many years prior. If I hadn't followed the steps from Psalm 37, I would have never realized spiritual results in my ministry.

One of your great desires as a Christian should be to see spiritual results that are lasting. John 15:16 says, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:" The Devil would love to discourage us from realizing spiritual results, but we must keep on following the steps of Psalm 37 is we are going to realize spiritual results in our Christian life. Let me show you the steps it takes to realize them.

First, you must trust God. Verse 3 says, "Trust in the LORD, and do good;..." Notice, God says to trust Him "and do good." In other words, trust God that He is right and do good. You must not let discouragement keep you from doing right. You must trust what the LORD says to do is the right thing to do. We can often wonder if what we are doing is really going to pay off, but you simply have to trust God and His Word. If God says what you're doing is right, then trust Him that good will come from your actions.

Second, you must delight yourself in God's ways. Verse 4 says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD;..." When one delights in God's ways, they are getting their pleasure from serving Him. Let me ask you, from whence are you seeking pleasure in life? Your seeking of pleasure should come from serving God. Stop looking for pleasure from sources other than serving the LORD.

Third, you must be committed to God's way. Verse 5 says, "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Friend, you've got to be committed that God's way is right. If you're not committed, then you will quit before you see results. Commitment is deciding you are going to do something whether or not it works. Commitment is being sold on what you're doing. That is true commitment! Commitment says that no matter what results God's way brings, you are going to do them. If heartache, trials and persecution comes, you are still going to do them. Commitment to God's ways is doing them because they are right to do.

Notice what happens when you do these three things, "And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,..." The realization for doing right comes to light. In other words, you will see the fruit of doing right, but you must stick to it.

Have you almost given up on doing right? If you're not trusting God's Word, and seeking pleasure in His ways, or committed to them, then you won't realize spiritual results. I challenge you to be committed to God's ways. Get sold on His ways and you will find the spiritual results you desire.


Improper Magnification

Jeremiah 48:42

"And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD."

Psalm 34:3 says, "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." This is a command from God. God wants to be magnified. The word "magnify" means, to extol or glorify. In other words, magnifying the LORD is to increase attention upon Him. The mistake Moab made was they turned their magnification upon themselves. Instead of magnifying the LORD, they magnified themselves. Whenever anyone turns the magnification away from the LORD, they are walking in dangerous ground because God says in Isaiah 42:8, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another,..."

So, if we are to only magnify the LORD, then what is improper magnification? We must look to 2 Chronicles 7:14 to understand what it is, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;..." Pride is always the cause of improper magnification. When we turn our magnification away from the LORD, and then place it upon ourselves, then we are magnifying the wrong person. That is why the key to revival is turning the magnification away from ourselves and placing it back upon God. You will notice from 2 Chronicles 7:14, there are three things that lead to improper magnification.

First, lack of prayer leads to improper magnification. Pride always causes us to stop praying. We stop praying because we think we can work our problems out ourselves. This is nothing short of pride. When you pray, you are placing the magnification upon the LORD for you understand that only He can help you with your problems. When you magnify yourself, prayer will not be the first thought that comes to mind when you have problems.

Second, a lack of seeking God leads to improper magnification. What is truly sad is how we seek what man thinks about a subject more than we seek God's Word. Friend, you must be careful about placing man above God. You must be careful about putting your eyes on man, for this is magnifying man more than God. It truly doesn't matter what man's philosophies, methods or thoughts are. What God tells us to do is what really matters.

Third, covering sin instead of turning from it leads to improper magnification. God commands us to turn from our wicked ways if we want revival. It is sad when Christians cover sin to keep their spiritual leaders on their "spiritual thrones." Covering sin for the expediency of allowing people to keep their position is wrong! When we do this, we are magnifying man above God. We are telling God that man defines sin, and not God.

I caution you to keep God magnified in your life. A humble heart will keep the spiritual magnifying glass upon the LORD. Don't make the same mistake Moab made by magnifying yourself or others above God. Remember Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." If you don't want to face a fall or destruction in your life, then you must keep magnifying the LORD.


Running to the Older Generation


Jeremiah 5:5

"I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds."

When Jeremiah said, "I will get me unto the great men," he was showing from whom his principles, philosophies and direction in life would come. The word "great" is talking about older men. Jeremiah wasn't just going to men who were considered great in his day, but he considered older men who had known the way of the LORD to be great men. To Jeremiah it wasn't about how much they were known to others that considered them great, but he personally defined greatness as those of an older generation who had been where he wanted to go.

Years ago a man said to me, "Find you an older man and make him great." To be honest with you, I thought that he was teaching me to find an older man and help him become known. Yet, when you look at the verse above this man's statement doesn't mean that at all. What this man was telling me was that I needed to find some older man who was experienced and allow him to become great in my eyes. This counsel has helped me through life. I've always tried to surround myself with men older than me so that I will know the way of the LORD. I want men around me to guide me and correct me when I get away from the ways of the LORD. My desire for my life is to continue in the ways of the LORD until the day of my death. One thing that will help me do this is to find an older man and allow him to become great in my eyes.

If you are going to walk in the ways of the LORD, then you need to surround yourself with older people who have known and are practicing the ways of the LORD. These people don't have to be well-known people, they just need to be people who have served God their whole life and continue to serve Him. So, where do you find these older people whom you should make great?

First, look in your church for the older people. All around your church are elderly people whom you could make great. No, they won't be flashy, and they probably won't know all about technology, but they do know about the ways of the LORD. You need to get to know these people. These people need to become great in your eyes.

Second, get to know the older men and ladies who your pastor brings to your church. When I was a boy, I had the privilege of sitting with older people who came to our church. I would question them and watch them so I could learn. When your pastor has an elderly preacher and his wife come to your church, be sure to get around them. Spend time with them and learn what has made them who they are. Learn the ways of the LORD from them.

Third, read books from those of generations past. There are many people God has used in a great way who wrote books that are still around today. You would be wise to find these books and read them. Read the biographies of men and women from the past who knew the ways of the LORD. Make these people the ones who are great in your eyes.

Christian, get yourself unto the great men. They will not come running to you, you must go to them. They will not demand your attention, but you must give your attention. Learn from them the ways of the LORD so that you can continue in those ways and keep yourself from straying from what it is that God wants you to do.

Decision Making Guide

Proverbs 29:4

"The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it."

Leaders of nations make serious decisions every day that will literally impact thousands of lives. One bad decision by a national leader can cause someone to lose their life. One bad decision by a country's leader can change the course of a nation for good or bad. Needless to say, a leader of a country needs to make sure they make right decisions.

In the verse above, God says that a leader will establish his country by allowing judgment to make his decision. On the other hand, God says that a leader who allows gifts to influence his decision making will destroy his country. God is trying to show the importance of making decision by judgment. What does it mean to make a decision by judgment? God is teaching that you need to allow principles to guide your decision making. He is teaching that a leader of a country needs to have several principles set in place to guide them through their decision making process so they can make the right decisions.

I recently read a discussion by a member of President George W. Bush's cabinet. In this discussion, this man was defending the intelligence of President Bush by telling about how they came about decisions. He said that President Bush would question the cabinet members and his advisors to help him in making his decisions. His cabinet members and advisors were the guides that helped him in making decisions as he led the United States. In essence, the information he received from the cabinet members and advisors were the principles that he followed in making decisions.

If it is important for the leader of a nation to make decisions by principle, then why would you think decisions about your life and the lives of those you influence are of any less importance? Yes, the realm of your decisions may not influence as many lives as the decision of a country's leader, but your decisions directly impact you and your family for generations to come. It is critical to make sure every decision you make is one that is decided by principle.

The best time to establish your principles in decision making is when you are not under the pressure of making a decision. When God said that a king who "receiveth gifts" is a king who will destroy his nation, He was teaching that feelings will always lead you to a wrong decision. Your feelings are based on the emotion of the moment. Depending on whether that moment you are in is adverse or profitable will determine whether or not you do something. Just because something feels good or seems right doesn't always make it a right decision. You must set your feelings aside and depend on your principles to guide you.

Friend, I encourage you to allow principles to guide you in your decision making. Sit down and literally write out the principles that will guide you through your decision making. Let those principles be guided by God's Word. Then, when you are faced with a decision, if you will run to your principles and let them guide you, then you will find that making a decision will not be that difficult.


God's Greatness Vs. Man's Weakness

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

Are you amazed that God would use you? When I consider my weaknesses, I am stunned that our great God would use me. There are many times when I pray and ask God why He would use someone like me. I am constantly amazed that God could use me. I do not wonder because I doubt God's greatness, but I wonder because I realize my weaknesses.

In the verse above, God shows us the difference between His greatness and our weakness. In verse 6, God says that man is as the grass of the field. He also says that our goodness is like the flower of the field. It's interesting that God uses these things to show us how weak we are. As pretty as grass may be, it takes a constant watering for it to exist. When you look at the beauty of a flower, you are amazed. Yet, the beauty of the flower will fade without water.

It is interesting that both grass and the flower need water to exist. God says in Ephesians 5:26, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," Notice, God's Word is compared to water. In other words, just like the flower and grass need water to exist, you need God's Word to make it. You will wither against life's attack if you don't stay in the Word of God. The beauty of your life will fade if you don't stay in the Word of God. Your strength is dependent upon God's Word. It is God's Word that has made you who you are. Whatever greatness you have, it is all due to the fact that God's Word is what made you.

So, you wonder how great is God's Word. The verse above says that the grass will wither, the flower will fade, "but the word of our God shall stand for ever." The word "stand" carries several definitions to show us how great It is. It means, "to rise, to abide, to continue, to remain, to accomplish, to lift up, to perform, to strengthen and to succeed." Don't miss it! You may fall, but God's Word can cause you to rise again. You may begin to fade, but God's Word will help to you to abide. You may want to quit, but God's Word will encourage you to continue. You may want to leave, but God's Word will cause you to remain. You may falter, but God's Word will help you accomplish what He has sent you to do. You may be thrown down, but God's Word will lift you back up. You may be broken, but God's Word will fix you and cause you to perform. You may begin to tire, but God's Word will give you the strength to continue. You may fail many times in life, but God's Word will help you succeed.

Christian, when you can do no more, God's Word is what steps in to help you make it. You cannot allow a day to go by without spending time in God's Word. Everything in your life may fail, but you can count on God's Word. Your world may crumble, but God's Word will always stand.

Always remember in your weakness, God's strength will be revealed to you through His Word. Don't give up! When you have no where to go, you can trust God's Word to keep you going. When you have withered and faded in life, then lean on God's Word for It will stand forever.


Stay Close to Home

Proverbs 27:8

"As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place."

The shelter of the bird is its nest. Oftentimes a bird will build its nest in a location that their enemy cannot get to. Every time the bird wanders from its nest, it is putting its life in danger for it is away from the protection of its nest.

God uses this illustration to teach us that a man who wanders from his place is in danger. A young person doesn't get into sin while they are at home, but they get into sin when they are away from home. Adults don't get themselves into trouble when they are away from the protection of their home. The reason they get into trouble is because when they are away from home they will allow themselves to do things they wouldn't do when they are around their family. Home is where you find protection, and if you don't want to get into trouble, you would be wise to stay close to home. This is an important principle in many areas. Let me explain the areas and its importance.

First, be careful when you are away from your personal home. As we've already discussed, there are many things a person will get themselves into that they normally would not do if they were around their family. Because of this, you would be wise to set up precautions to guide you when you are away from home. One of the most important precautions you can make is to be sure you are not out late when away from home. Many people get into trouble away from home when it is late at night. Make it your habit to stay in late at night when you are away from home.

Second, spiritually you need to stay close to home. Many people compromise when they stray from the principles of the Word of God. In other words, don't meet with people who don't believe like you. You will find that they can sway your thinking. Many times a compromiser is not a rude person, but they are very personable and have learned the art of swaying others to them with their personality. Stay close to your home church and the Word of God, and don't explore other beliefs that are different from yours.

Third, in the business world you need to stay close to home. Many businesses get themselves into trouble when they start trying to do something for which they are not known. For instance, a restaurant that sells burgers would be wise to stay in the burger business. If that is from where their success came, then that is where they will stay successful. Many business go bankrupt because they get away from what made them successful in the first place. They didn't mean to go bankrupt, but they simply strayed from what they knew as a business.

Fourth, stay close to home with what you know. I do believe it is good to continually learn, but it is bad to delve into an area about which you know nothing. Simply, don't give advice or explore opportunities in areas where you have no knowledge. Your safety is found in those areas where you are knowledgeable.

Christian, many of the heartaches we find ourselves in are in areas where we strayed from our nest. Always remember that home is where your safety is found. Stay close to home, and be extra careful when you find yourself away from the home in any area of life.


Don't Let Go

Song of Solomon 3:4

"It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me."

Nearly every week of my life I leave to go preach at a meeting for someone. One of the hardest things I do each week is leave my wife and daughter to go to the airport. I have yet to find the easy way to do this. During my daughter's early years, she would often grab one of my legs and hang on as I would head to the garage. She would say, "Daddy, I'm not letting you go." I finally had to tell her that daddy had to go and help people. She reluctantly let go, and I would leave with my heart crushed because I wanted to be with her and my wife.

In the verse above, the wife said she found her husband and "would not let him go." This lady searched her whole life for the right man, and now that she found him she was determined to hold on to him. She wasn't going to let anything come between her and her husband. She wanted to be close to him. I would think that this type of desire the wife had for her husband had a way of keeping him close to her. Just like my daughter grabbing my leg and not letting me go made it hard for me to leave, I also believe it made it that much more difficult for this husband to leave his wife.

Married couples should have a determination that they are not going to let their spouse go. I'm constantly amazed how couples who are struggling are so quick to divorce their spouse. Where is the determination not to let their spouse go?

Every spouse should determine to hold on to their husband/wife and not let them go. Don't let your spouse go for another person. Don't let your spouse go for your career. Don't let your spouse go for personality conflicts. Don't let your spouse go because you are going through a short spell of marital problems. Your marriage can make it, and you can work through your marital problems if both husband and wife will determine not to let each other go.

Moreover, I believe parents and children need to get the determination not to let each other go. I know children grow up and some of the things like my daughter did when I left for a meeting were an childlike stage action, but you can still emotionally hang on to each other and not let things or people pull you apart. Every family needs to be careful not to let technologies pull them apart. Don't get so wrapped up in other things that you truly never spend time with each other. Grab on to each other and spend time together, for you never know when your loved one will be gone.

Most importantly, every Christian needs to grab on to God and determine not to let Him go. Of course, you can never lose your salvation, but you must determine to hold on to God if you are going to keep Him first in your life. Don't let trials and heartaches cause you to let go of God. Don't let disillusionment in leaders cause you to let go of God. Latch on to God and determine that money, career advancement, outside activities or friends will not cause you to let go of God. Grab ahold of God and determine you are going to stay close to Him no matter what comes your way. Be as determined as Job was in Job 13:15 when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:..." Determine that you will hold on to God until the day of your death.