2021: The Year of Restoration

Last year was difficult for most all of us—a pandemic, an economic collapse, and political upheaval wrought havoc in many lives. The enemy may have robbed you of your peace, finances, health, or relationships, but God is in the restoration business. He will restore everything that has been taken from you. 

This past Thanksgiving, I was returning to Dallas from Houston when I got a call from my neighbor. He informed me that my house was flooded. When my family and I got home, we discovered the service line in the toilet had broken causing major water damage and a huge fiasco. We got the mitigation company to come out and my insurance agent got us all situated.  It was over a month of inconvenience and difficulty, especially this time of year.

The Bible says, “What the enemy meant for evil, God will turn for your good!” Before the flooding, I was contemplating having the house repainted and the carpets replaced in addition to some other repairs. See, God knows what we need, when we need it, and how to get it to us. My house is now fully restored, and it looks better than ever.

God knows how to restore everything–and not only does he restore it to its original condition. His restoration is always greater in quality, quantity, or both (Exodus 22:1). Our God is full of compassion and mercy. It does not matter if you made the mistake, or it was someone else’s fault, or life just happened, God will bring you out better off than you were before. Why don’t you trust and surrender to Him? He loves you and has your best interest at heart. The mercies of God are greater than any mistake you ever made. Rise up in faith and declare, “Father, restore!”

Do you feel like the enemy has consumed your years? Perhaps you suffered from a chronic illness, miscarriage, depression, the loss of a job, or a loved one? Let the word of the Lord strengthen your heart today. Our God is a God of restoration. He is most able and willing to restore what you have lost.

In the Bible, Joseph spent 13 years being mistreated, betrayed by his brothers, and put in prison for something that he did not do. It was not easy, but he kept honoring God with his life. One morning, the guard came to Joseph and said, “The Pharaoh wants to see you!” Joseph did not know the king because he was a foreigner and a slave locked away in a dungeon. You, too, may be sitting in a dark place feeling forgotten and overlooked. Do not be discouraged! The One who matters has His eyes on you. God will never leave you or forsake you.

When Joseph walked into Pharaoh’s magnificent palace, he must have felt intimidated. Nevertheless, God was with Joseph just as He is with you. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. The king was so impressed that he made Joseph second-in-command on the spot. Think about that! Joseph woke up that morning as a slave and went to bed that night as the Prime Minister over all of Egypt. God promoted and vindicated Joseph because our God knows how to restore!

Friend, you may have lost something valuable, but God is not going to let you end in a minus. Do not be discouraged by what is not changing. Make pleasing God your highest priority even when you do not see any improvement. Rest assured, God remembers you. Payday is coming. God has some destiny moments in store for you. He is going to thrust you to a new level of peace, joy, fulfillment, increase, and influence. God is going to restore your health, bring salvation to your entire family, and give you the nations for your possession. He will multiply you a thousand times more (Exodus 1:11 NLT). The right people will come looking for you. Promotion, opportunity, and vindication will track you down and follow you.

Now do your part and put your faith in God! When we encounter loss, it is easy to get discouraged, to settle where we are, and to stop expecting good things. I challenge you to get your hopes up and expect God’s best. Your expectation sets the limits for your life.

Jesus said, “Have what your faith expects” (Matthew 9:29). Let me ask you a question: What are you expecting in life? Big things? Small things? Or nothing at all? Learn to have a restoration mindset. Live each day filled with anticipation that God is going to bless you abundantly so that you can become a blessing to the world. My prayer is that you experience an unprecedented manifestation of His restoration in every area of your life in 2021. May His grace, profound peace, and divine protection cover you and your loved ones! Get ready for your year of restoration!

“We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance” (Psalm 66:12 NLT).  

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Building People. Spreading Hope.

Making Plans for a Successful Year

I’ve never met anyone who planned to fail. Yet, thousands of people are dissatisfied with their lives because they don’t have any set goals. If we’re not making plans to succeed then by default, we’re planning to fail.

Millions of people made New Year’s resolution this year but unfortunately, most have already fumbled. Statistics show that 75% of people maintain their resolutions, through the first week. Six months later, only 46% continue on with their goals. By the end of the year, a staggering 90% of people never make it. If this is you, I have some good news.

Today, let me introduce you to another approach of making plans to succeed. I call it PGP or Personal Growth Plan. Each year, I set goals in the five categories of life that impact me the most. Under each heading, I write down 3-5 specific goals. PGP works because it makes room to fail but allows the grace to get up and go again. Let me share these that might help you also.

1. God. Our success on earth is directly correlated to our connection with heaven. If we build our lives in the firm foundation of our God, we will have the Midas touch in everything we do. If we want to succeed in life, we can’t afford to not spend time with our Maker. Make plans to read the Bible every day. Pray and worship throughout the day. Talk to someone about Jesus at work. Attend church and get involved serving people. Go on a mission trip. Let’s plan to encounter God more deeply and intimately. Draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you!

2. Family. Every family has some defunct but your family is the only people God Himself handpicked for you! Our families sacrifice the most, yet often, they’re the ones who are most neglected. At the end of your life, you’re not going to ask for another day at the office or brag on your corporate achievement; you would want to be surrounded by the family you love. Set aside dedicated time to spend with your spouse. Go on a date with your kids and grandkids. Plan a weekend getaway. Play games together. Have fun and be intentional about making memories. Don’t shortchange your family. Invest in them.

3. Relationships. We’re created to live in community. The quality of our life will depend on the relationships we build. Learn to take genuine interest in people. Find a way to meet new people. Be loyal to your old friends. At work, invest in your boss and co-workers. Be hospitable. Invite your friends and neighbors to dinner. Call people just to check on them. Pray with people. The best relationships are a two-way street. What you put in is what you’re going to get out of it.

4. Finances. Our financial affairs reflect where our hearts are. The Bible says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NIV). Don’t follow money; instead, follow God and money will follow you. We’re selfish by nature. One of the best ways to cure greed and selfishness is to have a generous heart. This year try these simple steps for financial fitness. Work to make money > Give > Save > Invest. Use a budget and percentage to dictate where your money should go. If you really want to hit a home run with your finances, support Israel.

5. Health. We’ve all heard the saying, “Health is wealth.” It is! No matter whether you’re trying to lose a few pounds or fighting a serious health issue, you are in control of more than you think. Take simple steps to boost your health. Eat a balanced diet. Drink more water. Cut down on carbs, sugar, and sodas. Exercise regularly. Sleep at least 6-8 hours a day. Our God is still the Healer – this is your year to reclaim your health!

Friend, our God is a progressive God. What you’ve experienced in the past is going to pale compared to the success God has reserved for you this year. Get your hopes up, take corresponding action, and thank God for a bumper crop year. 2015 will be a wow year! God will give you something to talk about. He has already pronounced His blessing over you. Will you believe and act on it? I’m praying for you and yours!

“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance” (Psalm 65:1 NLT).

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Reaching Our World for Jesus

It sometimes seems as if there are few, if any godly people left in our planet. Communities are becoming more secular every day and attending church is not as common as it used to be in America. But God is working around the world!

I heard a statistic that almost 5,000-8,000 churches in America are closing every year! It is true that bad news travel faster than good news. We hear all about crime, drug dealing, violence and terrorism but the secular media seldom carries news of God’s doing here in America or around the world.

Just because we don’t get it in the mainstream media, doesn’t mean, God is not working. A few months ago I met a young couple. He was a member of a Satanist Church right here in DFW and she was a staunch Mormon. First, he got saved then he began to share Christ with her. She became a believer and then they got married! Recently, I was ministering in a high security prison in Texas and the Chaplain pointed to a Satan worshipper who had come down to the altar to accept Christ. Religion may be on the decline, but God is well and alive in America and around the world!

You may not know this, but in communist China, 25,000 people are accepting Christ every day. Researchers estimate more than one million followers of Christ in China! This is happening in spite of severe persecution, torture and even death! In India, a new church is planted every three minutes! The believers meet in homes, marketplace and even under the tree. A recent report states that 20% of Russia’s population converted from atheism to Christianity over the last decade. In the big picture, there is no doubt that God is working around the world.

Why then is Christianity on the decline in Europe and America? One of the reasons is we’re emphasizing on the wrong thing. Modern church is investing far more on building and real estate than building the lives of men, women and children. Most of the churches are not involved in world missions anymore. Believe me I’m not against building or reaching our local communities. But when we shift our focus from eternal to what is temporary we are being ineffective.

Everything about Jesus’ life pointed people to the Father and eternal life to come. We are missing the message of discipleship in the church. It is good to minister to the people’s need and talk about the good life here on earth but if we’re not challenging people to live beyond themselves and become a world Christian then we are doing us a disservice. John Wesley said, “Go not to those who want you, but to those who want you the most.” Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” I believe the cheapest way we can fight terrorism is to export the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world once again!

During the Second World War, South Korea was devastated. There were hardly any believers there. But due to the American servicemen on the ground the Gospel spread. Today, almost 30% of Korea professes to be Christian. It also has the largest church in the world with over a million members. In the 1960s, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world, with an annual per capita income of about $60. Today, it’s around $30,000. Wherever the Gospel goes, a transformation takes place.

At Build International Ministries, our goal is to spread the message of Hope and Healing to the most unreached. This year, our goal is to reach 500,000 people. From February 3-17, we are going over to minister in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. We urge you to consider getting involved in world missions this year. It is God’s dream that none should perish but come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Will you please pray? May be you can go or give to reach the nations? We will be delighted to represent you on the mission field. Together, we can win the world for Jesus!

“Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as your possession” (Psalm 2:8 AMP).

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7 Seeds that will Bear Much Fruits in 2014

Welcome to another New Year, individually Handcrafted by God for you with favor, blessings and power to impact the world. This year you’ll overcome every obstacle, difficulty, setback and sorrow. Get ready for God’s goodness to overwhelm you!

As the New Year unfolds, it is imperative that we understand that we are designed to succeed. Make plans, take corresponding actions and give God your very best. What we can attain by ourselves is nothing compared to what we can achieve with God. Today, let’s look at a few principles that will ensure our success in 2014.

Focus on the goodness of God. When flipping your calendar, consider the things God has already done for you. Remember the blessings and not the difficulties. When we have an attitude of gratitude, we will always have something to be thankful for. When we are thankful, we will attract more of God’s blessings in our lives.

Let go of the past. Do not maul over what did not happen. If we spent all our energies remembering and replaying our failures we will have very little left to build something new. Today is a new day! Let’s walk through the rooms of our lives not looking at our flaws but tapping into our potential. Break out of your cocoon; let the butterfly fly.

Know who you are. Many people are sitting on the sidelines today because they have a poor mental picture of themselves. They do not feel that they deserve anything good. Negative experience in life has sucked the joy out of their lives. Don’t let that be you. Remember, you are a child of the Most High. You belong to the Royalty. You and God can do anything. You’re not defined by what others say; you are what God says – son, friend, loyal, conqueror, victorious, loving, kind, gentle, patient, healthy, prosperous, peaceful, dream-chaser, vision-fulfiller. How you see yourself on the inside is how you will experience life in reality.

Write down goals, dreams and desires. Power is released when we write things down. Be in prayer and anticipation for God to give you a God-size dream. If your vision does not include “impossible” you’re thinking too small. Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you did not do than by the ones you did do. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Friend, only you have the power to decide how high you fly and what happens to you in life. Do not limit God. He is not only with you, He is for you.

Speak God’s Word. What comes out of your mouth has the greatest impact in your life. Let us speak positive, uplifting, kind and considerate words over ourselves and others. Do not let circumstances dictate our words. Speaking God’s Word over our lives overrides anything contrary in our lives. Sickness will have to go. Family members will be saved. Debt will be eliminated. Peace will flow. Our words have creative power to change things.

Take time to grow. We begin to die the day we stop learning. No matter how much you know, dedicate yourself to learning something new about God, your spouse, family, friends and fellowmen. Read books, Listen to podcast, attend church, find a mentor. You’re created for more.

Help others win. Selfishness is the greatest enemy to our soul. What we do for ourselves will fade away like a vapor. What we do in the name of Christ will remain forever. The greatest gifts you can give away are priceless – smile, encourage, hug, listen, serve, teach, pray and the greatest is to love unconditionally. Friend, I’m praying that 2014 will be an Ahh-Mazing year for you and yours!

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. ~ Walt Disney

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19 ESV).

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Seek God and Blessings will Follow

It is human to thrive for a good life and success. We want our family to do well and prosper. There’s nothing wrong wanting the fine things in life. However, God wants us to put Him first so that He can bless us to become a blessing to others.

In our modern society, work and career have been idolized. Since we’re kids, we’re programed to decide what we want to do instead of asking what God wants us to do. Our education and career is based on how much money we can make. While work is a strong Bible word, life was not meant to be spent on making a living. We’re created to know Him and make His name known. When we seek God, blessings will follow.

Moses was the son of a Hebrew slave. God’s divine providence landed him in the royal palace of the Pharos. The same people that wanted to kill him ended up adopting Moses as their own son. He grew up with affluence, name and fame but he had no purpose. One day he killed an Egyptian and it catapulted him to seek after God in the wilderness. There, God molded him for forty years (Moses was a stubborn man; it won’t take you that long). In pursuit of God, Moses had an encounter with the Almighty. Moses came down with the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God. The rest is history – Moses became the deliverer of the nation of Israel in slavery. Moses sought after God and not only blessings followed him but through Moses a whole nation was blessed! You too are called to be a blessing to the world.

My brother Neil was a successful businessman in his early twenties. I was in college at the time and every time I saw him he loaded me with money. Sometimes, he literally had money falling out of his pocket and didn’t bother to pick it up. He was filthy rich. After my graduation Neil and I decided to take a mini vacation together to the neighboring country of the Mount Everest. As we went around visiting the underground churches (people were thrown in prison for being a Christian there), my brother Neil heard the Gospel: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33). Neil gave his heart to God and decided to seek after Him. Fast forward twenty five plus years, today Dr. Neil Anderson is touching millions of lives bringing the Gospel to the persecuted countries. God has blessed him with ten times more than he could have ever imagined.

Many people hesitate to serve the Almighty because they feel God is going to take away what they enjoy. It is just the opposite from the truth. When we make up our mind to give God the preeminence, we’ll begin a life of adventure and abundance like never before. God is still looking for a few good men (and women) who would sell out to Him and His cause. As we make resolutions for the New Year, I challenge you to put God in the driver’s seat and fasten your seatbelt for the ride of your life. Playing it safe is overrated. Try the exhilarating life God has in store for you. I guarantee, you’ll not be disappointed.

This is what Abraham did in the Bible. His family was idol-worshippers. But Abraham had an encounter with God; he became a God-Seeker. When he started out in that faith journey, he barely had anything and the hard, barren landscape held no promises for him. Yet, Abraham plunged himself in the Almighty Hand of God. At the end of his days Abraham was rich not only in material blessing but also in relationships, health and influence. God made him to be the Father of many nations.

What about you my friend? Are you satisfied where you are? Are you content with your lifestyle or do you want more? I believe God has much more in store for you. God has exciting things to reveal to you. Will you seek after God? Will you love Him with all your heart, mind and soul? If you do, He will take you to places you’d never imagined. You’ll leave this planet knowing that you’ve made a difference. Seek God and blessings will follow.

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world” (James 4:8 NLT).

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