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Persevere Till The Promise - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 9, 2025

P L U N D E R E R
Dec 9, 2025
4 min read

I confess that I am far from a 'perfect' Christian. I've come to terms with this because God stated that His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He's ready to do the heavy lifting because I'm not built for it. I am comforted by the knowledge that my failings can never cause God to fail.

He recently taught me a great lesson that involved glasses, an incredible Canadian eyewear company, and the hard-working men and women of the US Postal Service (USPS). In September, I purchased two pairs of glasses from a Canadian company. Last time I bought from them, my glasses arrived in three days, so I expected a similar delivery period.

Days passed without my glasses, and the online tracking system showed they were stuck in Washington State. I soon recalled that tariffs and other changes were in effect. Still, a few days later, the tracking site showed that the package had arrived. Sadly, I got home an hour after it was delivered to find nothing at my door or mailbox, and a sweet USPS agent told me to call back in 48 hours.

I wondered what went wrong. Had the mail lady delivered my package to the wrong home, or had a porch pirate helped themselves? As the questions piled up, I turned to the Lord in prayer. By the time I was done, I felt better because He assured me that everything was fine. However, I also didn't feel a release to inform the Canadian company.

A discouraging thought sometimes came to mind. It was along the lines of 'If you don't alert the company, you'll never get your glasses. You would have wasted money.' While that sounded logical, I knew to hold on to what God had laid on my heart - everything was fine. So for another week, His promise replayed whenever my mind veered to the problem. And it veered a lot.

About two weeks after the supposed delivery date, I felt a release from the Lord to contact the company and did so. They apologized for the inconvenience and offered to replace the missing glasses. And almost a month after my initial purchase, I received the replacements. As I opened the box, I remembered God's initial promise that everything was fine. As always, He was correct.

God used this experience to remind me that His timing will always be the best. So, when He tells me 'no' or 'wait,' I can't let the lying voice of fear move me out of His plan. I must remember that He will make the situation work for my good (Jeremiah 29:11). I need to remain still until He tells me to move (Psalm 46:10).

I could have done the sensible thing and reached out to the company to resolve my problem quickly. Yet God had a different strategy that required my obedience. It also required that I persevere to reach the promise, holding onto faith and ignoring satan's lie that failure was on the horizon. I had to do what God said, when He said it, and not what 'common sense' would dictate.

Some of us are going through more significant situations, and God may call you to do something similar. He may want you to wait for His instruction before you move. It might seem contrary to what you would do ordinarily, but obedience will always be better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Always do as God says, so you don't have to repent and seek forgiveness later.

None of us has to rely on our own understanding because we have access to God's wisdom, and He is obligated to teach His children when we ask (James 1:5). I pray that we will stand firm in faith as we wait on every one of the Lord's promises. I pray that the devil's lies will never succeed in creating doubt about God's capacity to fulfill His word. No word of God will ever fail, and He will strengthen us to trust and obey as we persevere till the promise. IJMN, Amen.

As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

Your Sin Isn't Better - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) December 5, 2025

P L U N D E R E R
Dec 5, 2025
3 min read

We live in a world where many churches teach that Christians don't experience trials and troubles. Such incomplete instruction can create the impression that bad things only happen to bad people. Or that it is only non-Christians who experience bad things. However, Jesus never taught this, and if we harbor any such thinking, it is time to let it go.

In Luke 13, Jesus discussed a tragedy that happened to a group of Galileans who died at the hands of Pilate. Luke 13:2-3 - Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? /I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Here, Jesus warned the listeners not to think that the dead Galileans were worse sinners who deserved the disaster they'd experienced. He pointed out that they were Jews and the children of Abraham, just as his audience was. He cautioned them to repent and focus instead on living lives that reflect it. That way, they wouldn't become an example of how not to live. He stressed that it was just God's grace that others hadn't suffered the fate of the dead Galileans.

This is a lesson for you and me. We should not see ourselves as better than others because we are all sinners, and it is only by God's grace that we have escaped some of the troubles others have endured. Thank God for Jesus, who stands as an advocate, continuously interceding on our behalf. Praise God that we are not treated as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). None of this is because we are righteous. In fact, we are far from it.

Sure, we may not be fornicating, lying, or practicing magic, but our sin might be the failure to do something we know we should have done. James 4:17 - If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. For instance, the word instructs us to care for the needy. If a believer knows this and never gives from the little or plenty they have, that is a sin. Plus, no sin is worse than any other. Those who believe in Jesus are simply fortunate that the Holy Spirit convicts them to repent and try to do better when given another opportunity.

Remember the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Jesus told that parable as a warning to those "who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else" (Luke 18:9). He showed how the Pharisee, who prided himself on not being a Tax Collector, was actually worse off in God's eyes. The Tax Collector was genuinely remorseful for his sins and sought God's forgiveness without claiming any moral high ground.

Let us be like the Tax Collector who acknowledged his imperfection to the Lord and sought mercy. He was humble and resisted the pride displayed by the Pharisee. As long as we genuinely repent and take steps not to repeat our sins, God will help us. While we won't be perfect, He will make us stronger so our flesh doesn't succumb. We will become more like Jesus, who obeyed and pleased God. The Holy Spirit will also teach us how to avoid the snare of thinking we are better than anyone else.

I pray that God will continue to show us grace so we humble ourselves before the Lord in all things. He will help us. IJMN Amen.

As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

The Lamp, The Light, And You - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 2, 2025

P L U N D E R E R
Dec 2, 2025
3 min read

Revelation 21:23 - The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

This verse provides a wonderful description of the relationship between the Lord and His Son. While on earth, Jesus put God on display, consistently doing and saying things that reminded people of the Lord's greatness in an intimate way. He was the lamp that shone the light of God into the darkness of the world.

All the prophets before Him had done much of the same. Remember how Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy? The Syrian war commander was humbled and healed of his pride and stubbornness. He was so changed by God's healing mercy that he committed his life to God on the spot. He'd seen the light of the Lord.

The apostles and other servants who spread the gospel also did the same thing. They went about preaching and displaying God's power in places that had never experienced Him that way. When Philip proclaimed the gospel in Samaria, the people believed in Jesus, including Simon the Sorcerer, a man who'd controlled the populace with sorcery (Acts 8:9-13).

Similarly, the proconsul of Paphos, a Roman, came to believe in God and Jesus after watching Paul temporarily blind another sorcerer known as Bar Jesus or Elymas (Acts 13:6-12). Through the name of Jesus, Paul shone the light of God brightly, and many turned to the Lord.

This is the pattern believers in Christ are to follow. We, too, are to act as lamps that shine the light of God across the land. We achieve this goal by submitting our actions and our words to the Word and by letting God's Spirit have His way in our lives. Our thoughts are equally crucial because what we think becomes what we say and do. After all, as a man thinketh, so he is (Proverbs 23:7)

We therefore must put God's Word into practice and not ignore what is in the Bible. When we do this, intentional sin diminishes, and we will stop lying, stealing, and practicing idolatry, to name but a few things. We'll submit to God's grace and let it change us. Soon, we will start to fast according to scripture, all while we increasingly show compassion and love to others, just as Jesus taught with the Royal Law.

It is also crucial to apply Mark 12:29-30 - “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. /Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ This means loving the Lord by obeying His commands.

God has empowered us to do these things and much more as His children. All it takes is the choice to live for the Lord. He knows we'll mess up because you're human. However, as long as we repent, change our ways, and keep trusting Him to help, He will lift us when we stumble, so continue walking the journey of life with Him.

And with each passing day, the transformations He makes in us will shine the light of God upon the world, just as Jesus did. May the good Lord help us to honor His word with zeal. May we each choose to obey Him and be like Jesus, a lamp shining God's light wherever we go. IJMN Amen.

As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

Stubbornness
Pay your 'taxes'
Standing in the way
Don't Cause Others To Sin
Exploring the Role of the Five-Fold Ministry in the Christian Faith: How Do You Fit In? (The Five-fold Ministry 1)
Unveiling the Crucial Role of the Five-Fold Ministry: How Do You Contribute to the Body of Christ (The Five-fold Ministry 2)
Embracing the Five-Fold Ministry: Unlocking Personal Benefits of Serving God (The Five-fold Ministry 3)
Wear Your Kingdom Identity
Practical Ways To Wear Your Kingdom Identity
Have You Changed?
A Proud Father
Put God's Concerns First