Category Archives: Promises

Blessings, Christian Living, Evangelizing, Hope, Needs, Obedience, Promises

But First…God owes us nothin

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33)

We all want God to supply our every need, especially when it comes to our basic, everyday necessities.  I mean, we all know that God is love, right?  He is also our “Good, Good Father” who wants to take good care of us.  So, why shouldn’t we ask and He give us what we need and want?

Well, the answer is in today’s verse.  Did you see the answer?  Let’s look and see what it tells us.

1.  “But seek first…” – this implies that there is a condition to God’s blessings.  We need to be seeking to do something for Him, first.

2.  “the kingdom of God…” – we are to be seeking to grow God’s kingdom.  What this means is that God wants our first priority to be growing His kingdom by sharing the Gospel of Christ wherever we are and make disciples of those who put their faith and trust in Him (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

2.  “and His righteousness,” – our other priority is to strive each day to live according to the moral standard He has set for us to live by.  God is not going to reward us with everything we need when we are not doing what He has commanded us to do, first.

3.  “and all these things will be provided for you.” – as long as we are working to grow His kingdom and striving to live according to the moral standard He has set for us, then God will supply our every need.  This requires the full measure of our faith in the fact that God is faithful, and that He never lies.

God is not our personal “Genie in a Bottle” that is bound to giving us everything we need and/or want.  He will not let us take advantage of Him.  Remember this, God owes us nothing; we owe Him everything.  Just do what He says, then watch what He does.

In Christ’s love,

Phil

covoneministries.com

Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Joy, Peace, Promises, Struggles, Tests

Stop and Rest; I’ve Got This

“The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” (Exodus 14:14HCSB))

As human beings, we tend to try to face problems, and fight battles, that we know we have no chance against. We are fighting so many, and so many types of battles, each day that we feel as if we can’t keep going, that we don’t have a choice but to give up.  Unfortunately, this is a huge problem among Christians, as well, when it ought not be.

In today’s verse, God makes every single person a promise we cannot afford to miss. Let’s take a look:

  1. “The Lord will fight for you;” –  God Himself is ready and willing to fight those battles we have no chance against. The Bible tells us that there is nothing that God cannot do (Luke 1:37), and that there is no power greater than Him (Jeremiah 32:17).  Even when things are so hard and painful that we don’t even know how to pray, the Holy Spirit knows our petitions and takes them to God, interceding for us (Romans 8:26).  So it’s ridiculous for us to keep on fighting against things we have no chance against, right?
  2. “you must be quiet.” – God is telling us to STOP fighting, and rest; to rest and be quiet as He goes to battle for us.  He wants us to let go of all the stuff, all the baggage, all the stresses, all the pain others have caused us, all the guilt of our past, all the garbage that is killing us inside, and out.

God is calling out to us, saying: “Stop and Rest; I’ve Got This. Just trust Me.” So, how do we let go of all this stuff?  First, we must put the full measure of our faith and trust in the fact that God is the One and Only, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God.  Second, we must ask Him to forgive us for trying to live our lives apart from Him. Third, we must surrender our lives to Him as our Lord and Savior.  Fourth, we must surrender every aspect of our lives to Him, including all the problems and battles we are fighting, not withholding anything from Him.

Friends, God is our only hope.  He alone holds all the answers to all our problems, no matter how big we may think they are.  There is nothing, nor anyone bigger, or greater than Him.  Place the full measure of your faith and trust in Him, today!

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Acceptance, Faith, Hope, Jesus, Joy, Love, Promises, Salvation, Trust

No Rejection!

“Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37 HCSB)

There are those who misunderstand and misuse today’s verse.  Contrary to the beliefs of some, God does not force His will on us.  In His Sovereignty, God has chosen to give us free will to choose to believe in Him and trust Him, or not.  He does not create some people with the purpose of going to hell, and others to be saved from hell.  That would make Him and unjust God, which he is not.  God would never create anyone for the sole purpose of sending them to hell without giving them a chance to be saved from hell.  That’s why he speaks to all of us and draws us to Himself.  He wants us to be with Him and leads us to the One who can get us to Him, Jesus.

Here’s what Jesus is really teaching us in today’s verse:

  1. “Everyone the Father gives to Me will come to Me…” – this is the drawing of the Father, the hearing and learning from the Father about Jesus.  God’s opening of our eyes to the reality of our spiritual condition, which causes us to seek and call upon Jesus for Salvation.
  2. “and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.” – the one who seek Jesus with all their heart will find Jesus, will be saved by Jesus, and will never be rejected by Jesus – their salvation can never be lost.

God, through the Apostle Paul said:

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13 HCSB).”

Have you been rejecting God’s call upon you to come to Him?  Are you hearing Him calling you now?  Would you like to call upon Him and know that you are saved and have your place in heaven with Him for all eternity?  Here’s how God says you can do it:

1. Recognize that you’re a sinner and thank Him for sending Jesus, His only Son, to die on the cross in order to pay the ultimate price for your sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8), and raising Him from the dead in order to give you eternal life (John 3:16-18; John 11:25).
2. Tell Him that, at this moment, you willfully, willingly, and intentionally choose to stop living your life in rebellion against Him and choose to start living your life as His disciple; that you commit to seeking Him, every day; following Him, every day; and that you will strive, every day, to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to Him and only Him, no matter the cost – even if it costs you your life (2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 10:9-10). Then, do it.
This is the only way you can become God’s child (John 1:12) and experience the fullness of His love, goodness, joy, peace and perfect care. Do this right now!

If you did this, God is so happy with you and wants to start working in your life and through your life. Please send me a message letting me know that you did it so that I can pray for you as you begin a new life in Christ.

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Hope, Peace, Promises

Troubled?

“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.”                   (John 14:1 HCSB)

As the time grew near for Jesus to be crucified, His disciples grew more and more concerned that they would be left alone.  All of a sudden, after following Jesus faithfully for three years, they are facing His departure.  They didn’t know what would become of them since their master and friend would no longer be with them to teach them and show them what to do.  Jesus knew this, and beginning in today’s verse of Scripture, He delivers to them one of the greatest messages, ever.  It is a message of hope and joy, not only for them, but for all of us today.

How many of us are feeling that Jesus is far away from us?  If we are Christians and feel that way, it’s because we walked away from Him, not Him from us.  Sadly, many of us Christians live as if Jesus is a liar, even though we know He is not.  Let’s let today’s verse remind us of where, and in whom, we must put our faith.

  1. “Your heart must not be troubled.” – Jesus is telling us not to let our hearts be troubled because there is Someone whom we can count on, Someone who will never betray us, Someone who will never leave us, nor forsake us, Someone who already knows and feels what we’re going through. There is Someone who loves us unconditionally, no matter how bad we may think we are, or have been, Someone who will cary us through our hardest, loneliest, and most painful times.
  2. “Believe in God;” – the God of the Old Testament delivered the Israelites from their Egyptian captors. Then, as they spent forty years traveling through the dessert to the land He had promised them, He protected them from all those who tried to destroy them, and through miracles, He supplied their every need.
  3. “believe also in Me.” – Jesus reveals to them that He is that very same God, only in the flesh (John 1:14).  Therefore, they should put all their faith and trust in Him, as they did in the God that they had always heard about.  God did not forsake their ancestors, Jesus would not forsake them, nor will He forsake us today.

 

Now, here’s what Jesus wants us to believe and never forget, because this is our hope and our unspeakable joy:

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going (John 14:2-4 HCSB).”

Jesus did not leave us as orphans, He promised the He would return for us so that where He is, right now, we will also.  In the mean time, we are not to throw our hands up and give up.  On the contrary, we are to, by faith in Him and His Word, persevere in faith until He returns for us.

 “But the one who endures to the end will be delivered (Matthew 24:13 HCSB).”

Difficult circumstances are not evidence of God’s absence, but an opportunity to demonstrate our faith in His promises.  Is your heart troubled?  Do you want peace and joy?  Let me know in a comment below.

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Awareness, Encouragement, God's Misteries, Hope, Promises

God’s Mysteries

“But as it is written: What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind— God prepared this for those who love Him.”                      (1 Corinthians 2:9)

There are so many religious denominations and doctrines in the world today that were started by men and women who base their beliefs on their own limited, spiritual wisdom and understanding, rather than on God’s revelation through the Holy Spirit.  This is why God warns us and tells us to not believe every spirit, but to check to see if it’s from God, before believing them:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).”

Sadly, as I’ve said before, most people don’t want to take time to read, much less study, God’s Word.  Thus, they foolishly follow false doctrines taught by false prophets, who are leading them straight to hell.  Let’s not let that happen to us.  Let’s see what God is really teaching us through today’s verse.

First, let’s take a look at the context.  In verses one through eight, the Apostle Paul makes it very clear to all of us that he is speaking about the spiritual realm of both God and man.  It is a spiritual communication between the all-wise Holy Spirit of God, and the spirit of man, whose wisdom is severely limited.  He explains that everything he had taught the church at Corinth, did not come from him, but from God’s revelation to him through the Holy Spirit.  Understanding this, now we can look at what today’s verse says. Paul goes on to say:

  1. “But as it is written:” – although Paul’s source for his following quote is not known, it is clear that it has it’s origins in Scripture because of what is revealed through it.
  2. “What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind…” – refers to God’s mysteries, things that humanity in its own wisdom could never understand or explain.  Mainly, His love and grace shown to us through what He did for us through His Son, Jesus.
  3. “God prepared this for those who love Him.” – from before the foundation of the world, God chose to open the spiritual eyes of those who chose love Him and put their faith and trust in Him.  He did this so that we could get to know Him, understand Him, love Him, and thus, serve Him.  The more we know and understand God, the more we are compelled to love Him.

God’s greatest mystery is His amazing love for us.  Do you want to know about His love for you?  Do you want to know what His love compelled Him to do for you?  Let me now by responding below on this blog.

In Christi’s love,

Phil Covone

Faith, Hope, Obedience, Promises

Faith and Obedience

“Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”” (Malachi 3:10)

This is one of the most misunderstood and misused verses in the Bible.  Contrary to popular belief, this was, and still is, a test of our faith in God, and our obedience to God.  God was testing the Israelites, and He is testing us today.  Many of us focus our attention on God’s promise of an immeasurable blessing, instead of the condition by which we will receive the blessing.  Let’s look closer.

  1. “Bring the full tenth…” – this is the condition.  God commands us to bring the full tenth, not a partial part of the tenth, or tithe.  If we were to be honest, most of us would have to admit that we hardly ever give the actual tenth of our first fruits,  before taxes.  God does not accept partial service, or partial worship.
  2. “into the storehouse so that there will be food in My house.” – so that those who serve God in His temple, may live. We must provide for those who serve God, and us.  This is a command, not a suggestion.  In the Book of Haggai, chapter two, verse eight, God reminds us that all the gold and silver belongs to Him: “The silver and gold is mine” – this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.” If we believe that this is true, and it is, what right do we have to withhold any portion of the tithe from Him?   How dare we!
  3. “Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts.”” – God issues us a challenge.  He wants to demonstrate to us that He will keep His promise.  He challenges us to put all our faith and trust in Him to do what he says He will do.
  4. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.” – God was promising rain for their faith and obedience, and with the rain, abundance of crops that would over-abundantly provide for their families.

If by faith we obey God and give Him the FULL 10% of our gross earnings, as He commands us to do, He will supply us, over-abundantly, with what we need to take care of ourselves and our families.  DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND! GOD DOES NOT, NOR DOES HE EVER, PROMISE TO MAKE US RICH!  He promises to give us what we need, and we are to be satisfied with what He gives us.  If we expect more than what God provides, it’s greed, and greed is a sin.

“But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10)

So then,

  • how will we obey today’s lesson?
  • With whom will we share today’s lesson?
  • With whom will we share the story of our salvation and the story of what Jesus has done for us?

 

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Blessings, Christian Living, Encouragement, Promises

Do As Unto The Lord

“Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be achieved.” (Proverbs 16:3)

Do we, as Christinas, ever stop to think about why we have such a hard time achieving our goals, and sometimes don’t even achieve them?  Many of us, today, live under so much stress because we work so hard, for so long, neglecting our personal well-being, our families, and many other important things, yet we never seem to achieve anything.  We are tired, grumpy, and unsatisfied, and we just want to isolate from everyone, including those we love, and who love us.  Why is this happening to us?  I believe today’s verse of Scripture has the answer.  Let’s take a deeper look.

  1. “Commit your activities to the Lord,” – this literally means to transfer everything we have to do to God, and do everything as if He was watching us do it, and as if He were our boss.  Let Him direct your way in everything you do, after all He is Omniscient.  This applies to all activities we may be involved in, whether it be personal, family, work, school, or play. God, through the Apostle Paul, says:

    “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, (Colossians 3:23).”

    The word, “whatever”, is all inclusive, which means that there should be nothing we do should be done to honor men, but God.  We do not work for men, but for God,    no matter what we do.

  2. “and your plans will be achieved.” – only if we do all things according to God’s will and guidance, will God will help us do it, and do it exceptionally well.  God never does a mediocre job, so if we follow His guidance and everything according to his will, we will do exceptionally well.

According to today’s Scriptures, I am convinced that, if we put into practice what we’ve just learned in every area of our lives, we will be successful in our personal lives, family lives, at work, at school, and at play, and we will be more content.

So, then,

  • how will we obey today’s Scriptures?
  • With whom will we share today’s Scriptures?
  • With whom will we share the story of our salvation and the story of what Jesus has done for us?

 

In Christ’s love,

Phil

Christian Living, Encouragement, Obedience, Promises

Strength and Power

“I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 HCSB)

It is difficult to truly understand today’s Scripture if we don’t look at it in the context in which it was written.  It’s easy to take a verse of Scripture and give it our own spin to meet our agenda.  This is why Christ’s church has divided itself into many denominations, sects, and cults.  As Christians, we must remember that the church is not a temple, but those who have made a public profession of faith in Christ, and have been baptized, according to God’s commands.

To fully understand today’s Scripture, lets take a look at what the Apostle Paul said in the verses preceding today’s.  Her’s what he said:

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. Still, you did well by sharing with me in my hardship (Philippians 4:10-14 HCSB).”

Paul was thanking the church in Philippi for caring for him while he was on his missionary journey.  The church found out that Paul was suffering great need for the basic necessities of life, so they came together and sent him what he needed to be able to continue on.  Paul told them that, although he had learned to be content in poverty as in wealth, in having little, or having much, they did the right thing by supporting him financially so that he could continue in his work.  He told them that because Christ lived in him, Christ gave him the strength and power to do God’s will, and to endure all kinds of sufferings as he went about doing God’s will.

Paul revealed to the Philippians, and to us today, that we must learn to be content with what Jesus gives us, or does not give us, because through our sufferings, He will give others the opportunity to support us as we are on mission with Him; and through that, bless the givers immensely. Look at what he says about that:

“For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account. But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen (Philippians 4:16-20 HCSB).”

To go along with this, Jesus Himself teaches us the following:

“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you (Matthew 6:31-33 HCSB).”

As we go about His business, God will not only supply the strength and power we need to continue on, but He will also supply our every necessity for life, no matter the circumstances we may be suffering. Do you believe Jesus’ promise?

So, then,

  • how will we obey today’s Scriptures?
  • With whom will we share today’s Scriptures?
  • With whom will we share the story of our salvation and the story of what Jesus has done for us?

In Christ’s love,

Phil

Christian Living, Encouragement, Fear, Obedience, Promises

No Fear

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

If we have recognized and accepted God as our Lord and Savior, there must be NO FEAR in us.  Yet, many of us who say that we have put all our faith and trust in God, live in constant fear.  This is a contradiction.  We either believe and trust in the fact that God is Omniscient (there are no limits to His knowledge and wisdom), Omnipotent (there are no limits to His power), and Omnipresent (there no place where His presence is not), or we don’t.  We are either all-in, or all-out.  We either fully believe and trust Him, or we don’t.

Fear is evidence of our lack of trust in our Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God.  God has never, does not now, nor will He ever, break His promises.  So, when God says that He will give us the strength to continue on during our hardest and most trying times, and will sustain us during the pressures of everyday living, HE WILL DO IT!  However, He will not do it for those who refuse to put the full measure of their faith and trust in Him.  Look at what He is telling us through the Prophet Isaiah:

“You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Are you a Christian who struggles with fear?  Could it be that it’s because your relationship with God is fractured because you have been focused on your problems instead of on the Problem Solver?  When Jesus called Peter out of the boat onto the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee, Peter, putting all his faith and trust in Jesus, got out of the boat and started walking on water towards Jesus who was walking on the Sea of Galilee.  However, when he took his eyes off of Jesus to focus on the stormy water under his feet, Peter began to sink and drown (Matthew 14:22-33).  Something came between he and Jesus that caused him to sink and fear came over him, again.  His fear of the stormy water became greater than his faith in Christ, who had caused him to walk on water, and who moments later, calmed the stormy sea.

If this is you and you want to live in the perfect peace of God, remember what Jesus said and promised us:

“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you (Matthew 6:31-33).”

If we commit to striving to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to His commands, God will provide everything we need.  We will live in complete and perfect peace.  Would you like for your peace to be restored?

  1. Ask God to forgive you for focusing on your problems, instead of Him.
  2. Ask God to give you the strength to continue focused on growing your faith in Him.
  3. Ask God to sustain you through the pressures of your life.

Will you do it?  “Do what He says, and watch what He does.”

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone