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(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichols’ book, “How to Change Your Destiny.”)

So, what do you do when the deck is stacked against you?  What do you do when everything says you cannot make it? When life is against you, you can do what Jabez did.  He prayed. He prayed to the Lord his God. And I am telling you, you cannot keep a praying man or woman down.  He prayed.  That is what the Bible says, “And Jabez called on the name of the God of Israel”  (I Chronicles 4:10).

One has wisely said, “Until I pray nothing significant is going to happen, but after I pray the options are unlimited.” So when everything seems to be against you, what can you do?  First of all, you can pray about it.  I want you to notice the flow of his prayer in verse 10.  He prayed: “that thou wouldest bless me indeed” – not a little bit – but God bless me abundantly!  It is okay to ask God to bless you abundantly if you are going to give tithes and offerings to Him and bless others in the process.  It is selfish to pray, “God bless me abundantly,” and do nothing to help others.

God bless me indeed. I am a blessed man.  I am a blessed pastor.  My wife, Joy, is a blessed woman.  We’re blessed! And we have learned that we stay blessed by blessing others.  God said to Abraham, “I am going to bless you and make you a blessing.”  If your motive is to bless others God will see to it that you are blessed.

Jabez prayed, “Lord, enlarge my coast.”  In other words, expand and enlarge my influence.  Enlarge my ability to help others.  As a church we can pray, “God, multiply our outreaches. Multiply the workers for our outreach. Give us more territory and give us more people to help us take that territory.”

(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichols’ book, “How to Change Your Destiny.”)

When I was in school very few students owned cars. I remember a certain student, whose father was a doctor, had a brand new Ford convertible.  That young man always had more money than he knew what to do with.  He had a brand new car when everyone else was walking, but he was given too much too quick, and it ruined him.  He became an alcoholic.  The last time I heard about him he was on his last leg and I pray to God that something turns his life around.

You can be born with a silver spoon in your mouth and turn out to be a zero. This young man thought his future was made because he had wealth, but in reality he was heading toward disaster because he had no one directing his path. He was in need of a master and he chose the wrong one. As long as you are partners with God, you can make BIG plans. It is not up to chance, it is Jesus being the Lord and the Savior of your life that makes the difference. It really is!

(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichols’ book, “How to Change Your Destiny.”)

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested” (I Chronicles 4:9-10).

You should be thankful that you were not born in Old Testament days.  If your mama had a bad day, she was liable to give you a negative name that would follow you to your grave.  According to Strong’s Concordance the name Jabez comes from an unused root probably meaning to grieve; sorrowful.  Here is this precious little baby that has never done anything wrong.  He just came into this life and because his mother had a bad day, she named him “sorrowful.”  You know it is just hard to conceive that Jabez’s mother affected the rest of his life by giving him that name, all because it was not a happy time in her life.

A precious baby being named Sorrowful.  Can you imagine that?  You would think she would have wanted to name him: happy child or blessed child.  But, because things were difficult when Jabez was born, because she bore him with sorrow, she passed that sorrow on.

As Jabez grew up he had a decision to make.  Am I going to let my mother’s decision ruin the rest of my life? Did you know there are people whose entire life has been ruined by a decision made by someone else?  If that has been your experience, the Spirit of God is bringing you to a point of decision: Are you going to trust God with all your heart and believe what God said about you?  Are you going to see yourself from God’s point of view?  Are you going to let someone else’s negative mindset ruin your life?

As I look at the story of Jabez, I find it intriguing that the Bible says that he was more honorable than his brethren.  The Bible does not say why he was more honorable.  Perhaps it was because he rose above his situation and he prevailed.  Some people just roll over and play dead, but he made a decision to let God remake and remold his life.  He refused to live with bad luck ruling and ruining him.  He refused to stay down.  It is no disgrace to be down – it is a disgrace to stay down.  It is not a disgrace to fail – it is a disgrace to wallow in your failure.  Everyone has had setbacks.  Everyone has had failures somewhere in their lives.  Jabez is an example that we can overcome no matter what the circumstances.

Some people give you their success story but they do not tell you the whole story.  But here is a man that had a name that should have ruined the rest of his life.  Nobody would expect anything positive out of a man whose mother gave him the name, “Sorrowful.”  As I look at this story, I see a child who had a “bad” name, but one who made good decisions.

Life is a decision.  It is not where you were born.  It is not how you are born.  It is not the color of your skin.  It is not the education that you have acquired.  Life is a choice and you either choose to win, or you choose to lose.  I have faced these kinds of decisions over the years.  Thank God I made the choice years ago that I can be everything that God has called me to be.  There are many reasons why I should not be doing what I am doing today as a pastor of an international church. I am here today because I did not look at those reasons; I looked to the One that called me. My head said I could not do it.  I had a school teacher that said I could not do it; but I have discovered I can do what God called me to do. I can be what God called me to be.  I am not destined to mediocrity.  I am not destined to failure.  I discovered that I could change the path I was on through the help of God.

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

So many things happen in the world today.  Sometimes you wonder what it is going to take to wake people up.  We are facing some challenging days ahead.  We need to pray that Jesus will be glorified in these times.  I heard a story from a United States Marine cadet.  He went to chapel for the first time on his base, not knowing what he would find.  He told me that the chapel was full of young cadets praising and worshiping God.  He said, “When the service was over, we were all on our faces before God praying and crying out.”  Listen my friend, God is at work all over the world.  We need to just keep the switch of faith turned on.   I know the Word of God says that God “. . . is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Our most exciting days are yet to come.  I believe the church is being positioned for God’s glorious outpouring across the world.

The final thing that happened in John 11 is so simple; I had never noticed it before.  The Bible says, “. . . then many . . . believed.”  Many believed – that is what happens in every church service, every time you open the Bible or read a book like this.  “Many . . . believed . . . But some of them went their ways . . .” So many people leave a church service without really knowing what the preacher said.

Some just shuffle off down the freeway of life.  Folks, we need to hear from God every day.  We need to use our faith.  We need to stay excited and thrilled about the things of God.  We must press in with our faith as never before.  It is all by faith.  God help me not to be lazy in my faith.  I must press in for myself, my family, and my church.  We must press in.  The will of God is not going to happen because it is a good idea or because it has happened in the past.  It is going to happen because we keep our faith on the line.

Some of you have been through tough situations.  But I tell you this situation is not unto death, but it is unto the glory of God.  God’s going to receive the glory.  You can believe to see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

 

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

As you see God’s promise come to pass, know that all the glory must go to God.  I know the angels must weep when God does such wonderful things, but men start taking the glory.  Sometimes we forget Who it is all about.  It is all about glorifying Jesus.  Our songs, our praise, our worship, our giving, our preaching, and our teaching – it is not about me being glorified or you being glorified – it is about Jesus being glorified.

Jesus said, “. . . This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” (John 11:4). Every time I talk about what God has done for us, whether it is on an airplane, in a business meeting, or having casual conversation – I start speaking of what God has done for the church I pastor.  I can see it bringing nothing but glory to God.  God works everything out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). God is faithful!

I do not have a total understanding of everything, but I know God is faithful and He has a plan.  I know that all glory must go to God for every victory that we receive.  Jesus said that Lazarus’ sickness would not result in death. “. . . but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4).

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

Only believe!  Five times in this passage we find the words believe or believeth.  The Word of God tells us over and over again of the power of belief.  Fear not!  Believe only!  We believe God through faith.  It all starts and it all finishes with faith.  Everything we do that pleases God is by faith.  Our salvation is by faith.  The infilling of the Holy Spirit is by faith.  God supplies our needs by faith.  We pray in faith.  In fact, if you cannot do it in faith, you are just wasting your time.  You have a good marriage through faith, or you come to a better marriage through faith.  Household salvation is by faith.  It is all by faith.

You may be reading this right now saying, “Well, preacher, you have a lot going for you.”  Let me tell you, I could take you back to times in my life when I did not have one, single, solitary thing going for me except my faith in God.  When you find out that God is all you have left, you find out that God is all you need.  Take everything, but let me hold on to faith in God.  Let me hold onto believing God.  Belief is the hand of faith that gets a grip on the promise of God and will not let go.

If you are living by the opinions of others or what the news media says, then you do not know what to believe.  Every time you turn around there will be a different voice.  Faith lays hold of the promises of God and gets such a grip that it will not let go.  Eleazar in 2 Samuel 23:9-10 had such a grip on the sword that when the battle was over, his hand could not be pried from the sword.  Notice, the man had a strong grip, not a casual grip.  Until the battle was over, there was a grip that defied imagination.  No matter what comes, what voice says this or that, let the belief of our heart reach out and lay hold of the promises of God.  Believe that God is bigger than every dead circumstance and big enough to see us through.  Only believe!

It all starts and finishes with faith.  Jesus said in verse 15, “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.”  There is some strong meat here.  Jesus said, “I am glad . . . that I was not there.”  The first thing I want to do when a friend is in trouble is to be there.  I want to be there in tragedy.  I want to be there in a time of loss.  If it is possible, I would like to stay there, but Jesus said, “I am glad . . . that I was not there…” He was glad so that they would use their faith.  Sometimes, we get all wrapped up in our emotions and we forget to use our faith.  Faith is the best friend you will ever have.  Your earthly best friend may have had an off-day and talk you out of your faith.  When faith is your friend, get a lock on God’s promise and you will come through difficult circumstances on the high side of victory.

Some of the strongest faith people I have ever met in my life are in the pews of the church; they are not necessarily on the platform or on television. Some of these people are up in years and I hear the faith that comes out of their heart.  They are unheralded giants of faith, and you like them, need to hold onto your faith when you have nothing else to hold onto.  When you cannot see, your eyes must look beyond your dead situation and you must begin to see as God sees.  Hold on to that – it is so precious.  It will bring you through.

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

Sometimes God’s silence is a good thing.  We have a little problem in that we think we have to understand why everything happens.  I am here to tell you, there are some things for which we do not have the answers.  Only God has the answer.  I remember when my precious Bible school friend, Sam Smith’s young son passed away in his sleep.  He was only 25 years of age, a body builder, strong, handsome and just going to his first pastorate.  That was a rough one.  No one knew he had any disease.  Dr. Kenneth Hagin and I were the two that conducted that memorial service and I will never forget the wisdom that Dr. Hagin spoke on that occasion.  He spoke from Deuteronomy 29:29 that the secret things belong unto the Lord.  There are some things we will never know until we are in the presence of God and there are other things that God does choose to reveal.  I have certain things that God has spoken to me, but in other areas there is silence.  I have found out that when God speaks – listen, but do not try to break the silence of God.  Sometimes God is quiet.  Sometimes the greatest men and women of God throughout the Bible did not hear from God at the moment they desired.  They eventually did, but it is not wise to try to force a word from God.

In John 11:6, when Jesus had heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was and it was four days until He finally arrived on the scene.  Why?  It is none of our business!  There is one thing that you can believe; it is all going to come out all right.  I would rather Jesus take four days and everything come out all right than we force something prematurely and mess things up.  Everything is beautiful in God’s time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  God is going to work everything out that you have truly committed into His hands.  I see people getting antsy and taking action when they should be waiting and listening.  When this happens people can really mess up their life and sometimes someone else’s.  Even the sisters of Lazarus sent a message to Jesus saying, “. . . behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”  They were trying to put the pressure on Him, yet Jesus stayed away two days.  Sometimes God is vocal; sometimes He is silent.  “Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already” (John 11:17).

There have been times that I wanted to see God act and it just did not happen at that time.  Some things happened later, just not when I expected.  A number of years ago I was crying out to God for something that I thought God had missed a glorious opportunity to do immediately. God spoke to my heart and said, “I am going to do it.  And if you will just be patient, I am not only going to bless you, but I am going to bless five other people in the process.”  Now isn’t that better for God to be able to bless five other people in the process than for me to get what I wanted from God?  See, this is very practical, and it is very wonderful.  God’s timing is important.  We just need to let go and let God have His wonderful way!

Do not try to break the silence of God, but also never forget that Jesus really does love and Jesus really does care.  In fact, the shortest expression in the Word of God is John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”  Somehow we think that Jesus was not capable of that, but Jesus wept.  The Bible also tells us that on two different occasions, He groaned.  His heart was touched.  Maybe in Lazarus’ case He was touched because of the grief that surrounded the situation.  Maybe He was touched because of the sisters and the fellowship He had enjoyed in their home.  I do not know what all the motivations were.  Maybe His weeping and groaning were because of the unbelief that surrounded Him.  Whatever the case may be you really have to believe that Jesus does love and care.

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

When you face a dead situation be sure to get a Word from God.  As believers, some people reach out to try to find some different way of looking at their problem. There is nothing wrong with a positive outlook in tough times.  However, there is nothing stronger than receiving a Word from God that everything is going to be all right and God is going to see you through.

When my church began in 1964, God gave me Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

I know one thing; a Word from God in your spirit is stronger than any circumstance you face.  We have had glorious years and challenging years, but the thing that sustained me was that I have known in my spirit that God’s promises are sure.  It is not the word of man but the Word of the living God.  Our opinion is not changed by the news, because we have a sure Word from God.

In order to find life in a dead situation you must refuse to see anything as dead that God wants to bring back to life.  Now there are some things you need to let stay good and dead!  I mean, there are relationships that do not need to be part of your life.  Just leave them alone.  If God has broken you out of a bad association, just leave it in the hands of God.  Forgive them and go on down the road.  Do not try to revive what God has dissolved.

You face a dead situation by getting a sure Word from God.  Remember Paul was on board the ship in Acts 27:23, “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve . . .”  Paul said I have heard from God, and I believe God, and Paul spoke what was about to happen.  It did happen, because it was a sure Word from God.  Paul spoke to his dead situation just like Jesus had spoken to Lazarus.  He received the same kind of resurrection results.  What looked like a dead situation was turned to good by a sure Word from God.

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How to Find Life in Dead Situations”)

All around us are dead situations; situations that, except for God’s grace and a miracle, nothing can be done.  As a minister, I face these kinds of situations quite often.  Maybe it is a marriage in which one or both partners have given up.  Some are frustrated, because it seems hard to find the right job.  Some need healing in their body.  But I am telling you, Jesus is greater than any circumstance you face.

I am convinced that some of the greatest healing that needs to happen in the Body of Christ is the healing of emotions.  Some people are so wounded that they have never been restored.  Some people have had a divorce and its 24/7 instant replay.  You say one wrong word and it raises all of the hostilities of the past.  I was on an airplane once around New Year’s and the flight attendant was very cheerful and had on a party hat.

“Well, everybody’s happy,” I said to the man who was sitting beside me.  He replied, “Yeah, she’s just like my ex-wife, she got happy occasionally, but she always got over it.”  There are situations all around us that need resurrection.  Some churches are dead.  Some people’s attitudes are dead.  Have you ever seen the expression on someone’s face when it looks like they have died?  There is no life.  It is like life is so boring and they are just going through the motions.  There are a lot of dead situations, or potentially dead situations that surround all of our lives, but the Bible tells us that God has the answer to dead situations.

Jesus said in John 11:14, “. . . Lazarus is dead.”  But the first report is not the last report.  And I am telling you the last report is not the last report when your faith is in God.  Dare to face a dead family situation.  Dare to face a dead relationship with a child.  With God many times there is the reuniting of relationships that were dead, or that were strained.  Dare to face a dead situation God’s way.

“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)  Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.  When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.  When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”  (John 11:1-6).  It was very interesting that Jesus took His time and said it was for their benefit that they might believe. “Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already” (John 11:17).

Lazarus has already been in the grave four days.  Then Martha said in verse 21, “. . . Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.  Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die…  (John 11:21-26).  Continue reading with verse 37, “And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?”

The Bible tells us that Jesus said, “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Many Jews believe because of the things He did Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” (John 11:43-45).

This is a powerful story and the more I read it the more I realize it can show us how to find life in dead situations. Now, when I say a dead situation, I mean something that is impossible.  The first step that I would share for victory is; dare to face a dead situation.  Dare to face it – do not run from it; do not hide from it; do not let it ruin your day or your week, but dare to face a dead situation.

(Below is an excerpt from Pastor’s book, “How To Triumph in Troubled Times”)

There is one more that I can give you about triumphing in troubled times.  Keep the fires of revival burning in your heart.  The news media does not inspire the fires of revival.  We must never forget an event like 9/11, but on the other hand, we cannot let that kind of event ruin the rest of our lives.  We must remember that our world needs revival now more than ever before.  If I serve the right God and I believe in the right Bible and I have the right fruit in my life I will come out on the high side of victory.

I am talking to you out of a pastor’s heart.  I am talking to you out of over forty years of experience of being a pastor.  We must have spiritual revival.  I will take the true spirit of revival anytime.  I want something that will keep me stirred.  I want something that will change my life and keep me changed.  I want something that will hold me when the storms of life come.  We need a spiritual revival that is founded on the Word, not just emotions.  Have a strong faith in God now, and your faith in God will bring you through anything.