Category: Book Excerpt

(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichol’s book, “How To Chart Your Course Of New Beginnings.”)

As we study the life of Abraham, we realize we all need new beginnings.  We all desire them, but how do you navigate the unknown?  Charting your course is a 100% faith deal that is based on the Word of God.  This is not hype, positive thinking, or mind over matter.  It is simply getting a promise of God and remembering that the Bible said, “Therefore it is of faith . . .” (Romans 4:16).  I have been a pastor many years, and have experienced many things.  I have been in the trenches with people that were hurting.  I have been with precious people that felt that their world was being challenged.  People face a lot of challenges, but I believe with every fiber of my being that God has a new beginning for them.

In Acts 27 Paul faced shipwreck and possible death. In the midst of the storm God sent an angel with a message for Paul that he would survive the trip.  Eventually the ship would run aground and he would be forced to swim to an island to survive.   I believe even as it was with Paul, if your ship goes down, you are still going over.  You have to lock into that kind of faith mentality.  Not all ships make it.  I wish I could tell you that everybody’s ship makes it, but I cannot.  I will tell you this, even after the ship went down, Paul was able to safely make it to the shore.  As a result, Paul had an island-wide salvation, healing, and Holy Ghost revival.  He did not need the ship to do it.   You see, the storm destroyed the ship but it did not take Paul’s faith.  He refused to let the storm steal his faith in God’s Word.  He refused to let the shipwreck ruin the rest of his life.  Even when he was washed ashore, the challenge to his faith was not over.  In an attempt to keep warm the survivors started a fire.  When Paul laid the sticks he had gathered on the fire, a poisonous viper came out and attached itself to his hand.  Immediately he shook off the snake into the fire without suffering any harm.  No matter how greatly blessed we are, our faith will continually be challenged.  But the bottom line is, if we do not quit, we win.

(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichol’s book, “The Secret Power of a Cause.”)

What exactly is a vision?  A vision is a compass providing steady guidance along the path that God is leading you.  It is a divine point of reference that steadies you, keeps your eyes off of present circumstances, and allows you to see the prize ahead of you.  When difficulties arise, the vision reminds you of your future success.  The Bible has many things to say about the importance of a vision.  Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  Without a vision, there is no sense of direction.  The vision is vitally important to the believer but does not guarantee success.  The problem with a vision is that it can be put on the shelf.  It is optional.  If the glamorous vision becomes too difficult to achieve, it can easily be put aside.  A vision is needed, but there is something more.

In Acts chapter 26, Paul is testifying before King Agrippa about his encounter with Jesus.  He tells the king about how Jesus changed his life and how he knew he had to accomplish what God wanted him to do.  A vision was birthed in his heart on the road to Damascus.  In verse 19 of chapter 26, Paul tells the king that he had “not been disobedient to the heavenly vision.”  Paul kept the vision before him.  He knew his duty was to spread the good news and his vision kept him on track.  His vision provided a reference point that encouraged him to continue “pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14).  Paul was given a vision on the road to Damascus, but somewhere along the way, there was a shift that took place.  He knew his vision would not come to pass unless he went to work.  God’s vision to Paul on the road to Damascus became a passionate cause.  His vision became a cause.

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

The hand of God in a person’s life could be seen as the anointing.  When the anointing is on a person it produces results.  “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” Acts 10:38. When Jabez prayed “…that thine hand might be with me…” he was asking for God’s anointing to face a difficult task.  Some commentators believe that the occasion of Jabez’s prayer was the expulsion of the Canaanites from his territory. The only thing that was going to get him through that situation was the anointed direction of God.

We all face situations where we need to hear from God.  Many times God will speak to us during a church service where the Word of God is being preached.  I have heard of this happening to business people in my congregation more times that I can recall.  They were just sitting in a service and the Spirit of God would give them direction for their business.  He would show them what adjustments to make to get out of financial crisis.  The message preached that day would not even be about finances, but the anointing on the Word brought them direction.  That adjustment would not have been thought of without the anointing touching their life.  I love God and want to please Him. I want the hand of God on my life!  The anointing on my life will help me be a good husband and father.  Let the hand of God be upon me!  Anointing, fall on me – live big within me!  Touch me!  Anointing of God take this piece of clay and do something with it.

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

You never go wrong when you walk the love walk.  You never go wrong when you respond with God’s love to a world of hatred.  Love never fails.  If you respond negatively to what someone else does in traffic, it may lead to a major incident.  Confrontations like this have been known to become lethal.  A harsh response, even with just a few words, may push people over the edge.  You see, just a few words start wars.  Words of strife break relationships but words of love can bring healing to relationships.

In a world filled with hatred, I can choose to walk in the love of God.  No matter how many people come against you, you can walk in love.  The reason we can walk in love is because we have the love of Jesus in our hearts.  The Bible clearly says, “. . . love one another . . .” (John 13:34).  It does not say destroy one another, but “. . . love one another…”  It does not say hate one another, but love one another.  I can walk in love in a world filled with hatred.

When something goes wrong when I am traveling I have found that if you just hold steady and treat people decently God will somehow turn things around and bring you out in victory.  It will work in an office where everyone is filled with gossip; in an office when it is dog-eat-dog, in the corporate world where everyone is trying to do unto others before they do unto them.

You say, “If I walk the love walk they will eat me alive,” but I am challenging you today; walk in love in every area of your daily life.  It is a choice that every one of us has to make.  We can respond in our natural strength that is very limited or we can walk in God’s love and all of heaven’s resources will be with us.  I am not saying that if someone is threatening your life that you do not respond appropriately, but you can choose to walk in love in a world that is seething with hate.  You can triumph in the most troubled times by walking in love.

(Excerpt from Pastor’s book, ‘How to Get a Grip on God’s Promises”)

We can see that the Shunammite woman was watching her words.  She only spoke words of faith and peace.  The words she spoke laid the groundwork for the miraculous resurrection of her son.  In verse 26 when Elisha saw this woman coming he told his servant to go meet her and ask, “…Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?   Her answer remained the same, “it is well.”

Do you know what the prophet of God was really asking?  The margin of my Bible said he was asking, “is peace thine?”  Now you might be saying, why is that so important?  The prophet was testing her grip on the promise.  There is no room for doubt in this situation.  If this woman was going to see the full manifestation of her miracle she needed to stand strong on the Word of God. In the Strong’s Concordance the word shalom has several meanings.  In addition to “peace” it could also mean “safety, health, and prosperity.”  Remember she answered the prophet of God, “. . . It is well.” She did not blurt out, “Well prophet of God, my son is dead.”  Her faith response was essentially, “peace is mine.”

Do you know what she was saying?  Prophet of God, I do not want to talk about my situation right now, but let me just tell you what I have inside of me.  I have peace, safety, and health.  Listen to this woman speaking her faith with a dead son at home.  You think you have problems?  This woman is saying, prophet of God, I have a grip on the promise of God and I am not letting go!

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

I will never forget one situation many years ago when I was a young associate in my father-in-law’s church.  An evangelist, a novice, came in and stole the hearts of the people.  For the first time, I heard my father-in-law, the pastor, who was a very, very strong man, say, “Son, the pressure is just on me.  I am going to take two weeks off and you are in charge.” I thought “Oh, Jesus, what am I going to do?”  Here was a man of great experience whom I had never seen lose a battle, but something about this situation had really pressed him hard.  I picked up my Bible and a legal pad and I went to the church and spent the night in prayer. When the sun came up the next morning there was something in my spirit that said everything is going to be all right.  There were a few folks that were affected by it, but God spared the church because a rookie preacher got on his face before God and prayed with his prayer language.  I am here to tell you when everything comes against you, get on your face before God.  Remember to bring a pen and a notebook because when you talk to God, eventually God is going to talk to you.

Sometimes prayer is just flushing out all negativism and unbelief that keeps pressing you down.  That is why sometimes you need to spend some extra time in prayer.  This world will fill you up to the brim with its negative ways, but as you pray, it flushes that unbelief out.  It flushes that frustration and hopelessness out.  When we are emptied, then thank God, He can fill us up.  God fills us with hope, faith and love.  God fills us with that blessed assurance that everything is going to be all right.  There is a way when you pray.

The biggest challenge to most church people is to stop telling their problems to everybody else and get on their face and talk to God.  Stay on your face until God empties you of your problem and fills you with the answer.  You have heard what everyone else has to say; now you need to hear what God has to say.  Some of you have a notebook full of prophecies, but not one of those things is going to work until you let God empty you of your problems and fill you with the answer.

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

If you live long enough, you will face moments of adversity.  Adversity will actually strengthen your faith in God if you face it God’s way.  Faith does not ask if God is able to bring life to a dead situation.  Faith asks, “How is God going to do it this time?”  You can get a grip on the promises of God and find life in a dead situation. Now we have a decision to make!  Are you going to be like the one who just shuffled off with the same unbelief remaining unchanged?  Or will you be the one that will apply the Word of God to your life see victory?

Do you have some dead situations in your life that need to be revived?  Do not approach a dead situation carelessly.  Get a Word from God and face it head on.  Do not try to force God to break His silence; just cooperate in faith with His promises.  Never forget that Jesus really loves and He really cares, and only believe.  It all starts and finishes with faith and knowing that all the glory must go to God.

Prayer

God, give me the strength to face the dead situations in my life.  I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on You.  I am waiting to hear what You have to say.  I will get a grip on Your promise.  With God all things are possible.  It doesn’t matter how many days have passed, when you speak, power is released.  And God, if you tell me to let it go, I will trust you to bring me through on the high side of victory.  Be glorified in my life and in the situation I am facing, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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

Many believers do not do the right thing.  Let’s go a little further: many preachers do not do the right thing.  They have a choice!  Am I going to be bitter or better?  The moment I choose sides and say, “I choose to be bitter about that,” then I get out of the arena of God’s blessing.  I feel sorry for people that do not do the right thing or play by the rules, but that is their problem, not mine.  I have a choice to make and I am going to do the right thing.  I have made up my mind.  Doing the right thing does not always win the first twenty-four hours, the first twenty-four days, or even the first twenty-four months, but it does win.  Love always wins.

I have lived long enough to appreciate people that are honest.  I am going to be that kind of person if God will just continue to show me how.  I want to do what is right. I want to operate my life God’s way. I do not want to be an opportunist, using others as a means to accomplish my earthly assignment. I do not have to be that kind of person. I can walk in love in a world of hatred. I will not fret or worry because Jesus said, “. . . see that ye be not troubled ” (Matthew 24:6). You always have the opportunist type of person around.  There will always be a Judas in the wings.  There will always be someone who is taking advantage of situations, but you will be blessed if you do it God’s way and keep a good spirit.  You can trust in the Lord.  God will bring you out and make a way for you.  It is the way I have lived for many years.  Whether you understand or not do what is right.  It is a faith walk.  You do not walk by the way things appear right now.  Habakkuk said, “…the just shall live, by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

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

I have talked to many who desperately needed to change, but it just did not seem possible.  I have walked through so much with people who seemed unresponsive to God’s Word.  I just say, “Lord, I do not know what to think.  They are yours.”  Then someone else comes up and gets right in my face and looks at me and kindly says, “Thank you, I see the light.  You will never know what deposits you made in my life.”  That person has broken through to resurrection in their life.  All things are possible if we only believe.  John 11:25 says, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” My paraphrase of that is: though your situation seems dead, if you believe, there will be a resurrection.  If you want to strengthen your faith remember that God is able.  That is the message that God wants us to get a grip on today – you can find life in a dead situation.  When something seems over, hopeless, helpless, you need to remember that nothing is impossible with our God.