Faith, Deeds, and Greed

Greed stinks! Plain and simple. Could we all agree on that? It's rooted in selfishness and is a total "train wreck." Jesus talked about it in Luke and gave great teaching about it. Then James proves how counter-productive it is when illustrated through faith and works. 

Luke 12:15-21 NIV

[15] Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” [16] And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. [17] He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ [18]  “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. [19] And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ [20]  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ [21]  “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” 

Being "rich towards God" is storing up treasures in heaven. Doing things that have lasting eternal value. Chiefly loving and helping the poor and needy. Greed does not facilitate helping anyone and makes our faith useless. God has given us good deeds to do. He prepared in advance that the Church would do good deeds to help people so that He would be glorified because of our good deeds.

James 2:14-17 NIV

[14] What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [15] Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

See? Useless if not expressed by helping people.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

[10] For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Matthew 5:16 NIV

[16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

So, don't be selfish or greedy. Put your faith to work by helping people and doing good deeds. Then they will glorify the Father in heaven and then God can draw them to Himself so they can be saved too. That's the main point Church. So the lost can be found and saved too. Love you all.

Love you,

Jeffrey Post

Love Always Protects

Oftentimes, as Christians, we elect to mind our own business, not get involved, or say anything about behaviors we see in our friends, family, or colleagues that are detrimental to their lives or well-being. We don't want to cause conflict or "stir the pot." We don't want fights or arguments so a lot of times we steer clear of difficult conversations. We don't want to hurt feelings so we avoid potential conflict. This is a severe disservice to those we love and care about as we live out our everyday lives. For the longest time, I have had this view with family members, friends, and colleagues. 

God, by the Holy Spirit, has completely changed my thinking on this issue tonight as I continued my study of Proverbs. Here is the passage:

Proverbs 24:11-12 NIV

[11] Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. [12] If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? 

He is saying that we, as Christians, have a responsibility to keep people from destroying themselves. We are charged to rescue them if we can. For friends and family, those closest to us, this is a clear way that we show how much we really love them. We cannot avoid conversations or situations. We cannot ignore behaviors that are consuming or destroying them no matter how difficult. We cannot enable them by our passivity. We have to get involved. This is part of loving someone. I. Cor. 13:7 says that love always protects!! If we don't do whatever we have to do to protect them, then our real love for them comes into question. However, that's not just limited to friends and family, but anyone we interact with, which is a tall difficult order to fill. However, if we really love them we'll do whatever we can to protect them.

For example, if I'm standing at a bus stop and a man standing with me is about to step into oncoming traffic, I'm not going to let him do it. I'll abruptly grab his arm and pull him back instantly with little thought or reaction. I just save him because I love people. I'm not going to sit and think it through. I'm not going to consider future ramifications of my actions. I'm not going to consider his feelings about it. I'm not going to worry about his reaction. I'm going to save him from imminent danger.

If you're close to the edge of a cliff, I'm not going to just let you step off the side of the cliff. If you get too close, I'll guide you back into safety. Why? Because I love you. Love always protects. 

So, whatever we face with the people in our area of influence, be it friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, or strangers, God is saying that if we love them like He does, then we'll protect them, no matter how difficult the situation. Also, in the passage, at the end, God is saying not only do we have a responsibility to people, but that we will be held accountable to Him for it. We will have to answer to Him for what we did or did not do. Also, He will repay us according to what we have or have not done. So this is a very serious subject to Him.

We rescue those around us from whatever. We protect them. We don't avoid. We don't enable. We face things head on, no matter what. This shows how much we love them in any given situation. 

Wow!! What a revelation tonight!!

If I love you, I'll do whatever it takes to protect you.

If you're reading this and you're into something that is not good for you, is harming you, or can ultimately destroy you, then just stop it now. Don't wait. Don't rationalize, make excuses, or whatever. Just stop it now please!! If you need help then get help. Do whatever you need to do to stop!! God loves you and wants only the best for you!!Come out of it now. I love you and love always protects.

1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV

[23] “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 

Remember that. Again, I love you!!!

Please share with others.

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Why Should You Be Saved?

Why should you be saved? Because of sin, you can never be perfect. 

Romans 3:23 NIV

[23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

God is perfect. He lives in perfection in heaven. There is no way you can ever be perfect because of sin in all of our lives. So we can never live with God forever unless something is done about the sin in our lives.

Being saved, being born again, is all about believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took care of the problem of your sins on the cross 2000 years ago. By paying the penalty for ALL sin, He has made a way for us to be perfect through His blood and sacrifice on the cross. 

Hebrews 10:14 NIV

[14] For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

He made the only way for us to be able to have direct access to God in His perfection. Once you are saved, you are planted "in Christ." 

Ephesians 1:13 NIV

[13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 

Being in Christ, you are perfect, you are reconciled to God and have direct access to Him. Jesus paid the penalty for ALL of your sins, so you are freed from any punishment for sins. He took your punishment for you when He died on the cross. When you believe in Jesus Christ, you are "born again" by the Holy Spirit. 

1 John 5:1a. NIV

[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, ...

You are adopted as a son or daughter in the eternal family of God, the Kingdom of God. 

1 John 3:1a. NIV

[1] See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 

Being saved is not only a matter of receiving the gift of God which is eternal life, but a matter of being adopted into God's family forever because of what Jesus has done for us. God gave us the right to become children of God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

John 1:12-13 NIV

[12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

So why should one be saved? To have access to God forever. To become an adopted child of God forever. To have the penalty of sin removed forever by the blood of Jesus. To receive our inheritance as a child of God which is the gift of eternal life. That's the good news of Jesus Christ. It's all made available to anyone who believes. God loves you and wants to add you to His family!!

John 3:16 NIV

[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

That's why you should be saved!! Awesome stuff!!!

Please share this with everyone you know!!

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Freedom in Christ

Continuing the vein of thought from my last blog entry about living and being happy everyday, as Christians, we are "in Christ." (Eph. 1:13) As such, we live in the freedom that Christ provides by faith in Him. So extending the thought, we should live and be happy in Christ. We should experience the freedom, the peacefulness, the serenity, the tranquility of life that Christ provides us as we are led in our spirit by the Holy Spirit. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (II. Cor. 3:17) So internally, we should be in tune with the Spirit as He interacts with our spirit everyday. That's where true freedom comes from. Freedom,and all that means, does not come from pursuing the desires of our human sinful nature which is also called pursuing the "works of the flesh." Let's read the text about this. 

Galatians 5:13-25 NIV

[13] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. [14] For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [15] If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. [16] So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

See? We'll never be happy or at peace pursuing the desires of the human sinful nature. All those things bring slavery or imprisonment in those things. Those things are just the junk of the world. They're totally a waste of time. None of that helps us or  those around us. So to have the freedom that Christ provides and all that encompasses, let's all pursue what the Holy Spirit desires. Let's listen to Him internally and through the Word to have the life God wants us to have in Christ. Then it will benefit those around us. Then God will work through us to save those around us. Again, our main purpose of the Church is for God to work through us so other people will be saved. So let's live and be happy as we do what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. That's true freedom!!

Share with others!!

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Live and Be Happy

 As Christians, Paul taught us how to live everyday all throughout his books in the New Testament. He was the best "do-it-by-the-numbers" guy I have ever read in my life. He could seriously micromanage in his writings, which we should appreciate. He never left a stone unturned. He never left any questions on how we should live out our lives here.

Having said that, within the scope of our Christian walk here, having all parameters in place in our lives, we should all just live and be happy. We should be happy and thankful that God has given us this gift of life. Everyday is a gift and thank God for it!!

Now, he gave us an example of how NOT to live our lives. He was saying do not be like these folks and gave us their example as a warning to us. Let's read...

1 Corinthians 10:1-12 NIV

[1] For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. [2] They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. [3] They all ate the same spiritual food [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. [5] Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. [6] Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. [7] Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” [8] We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. [9] We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. [10] And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. [11] These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. [12] So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 

This was written to keep us from "setting our hearts on evil things as they did." Then he gives examples of idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God, and grumbling and complaining. See? After everything these people went through, they still could not just live and be happy. They never just loved God and appreciated Him. Paul uses them as a warning for us. 

So, what's the point? God loves us. He saved us by the finished work of Jesus. We're going to heaven when we leave this Earth. So, in the meantime, be happy, enjoy your life, appreciate the life He has given us, enjoy your relationship with God, enjoy the planet we were born on to. Never get bogged down with the "cares and worries of the world," and never take for granted the life we have "in Christ." Cherish the whole experience of life that God gives us each day. Live and be happy.

I sure do love each and every one of you!

Share this with others.

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Do Not Live in Fear!

 With news stories focusing on all the bad things in the world, and people all over the world having constant access to all of it on the internet, it is easy for one to live in constant fear of everything at any given time. No matter what is going on around us, God doesn't expect the Church to be seized up with fear. He cannot use us for others to be saved if fear, worry, or anxiety rules our lives, which is the unhealthy type of fear that consumes many today.

Healthy fear is used to protect us and keep us safe. God gave us this response to steer clear of dangerous situations or people. Nothing wrong with that. 

The fear I refer to is when a person walks through life in a constant state of unease or worry just waiting for something bad to happen. They try to control every aspect of life around them and others to prevent something bad from happening. Being unable to do so, they're in a constant state of fear, worry, and anxiety. They can never relax as fear grips their lives. God does not want us to live this way. He wants us to trust in Him, depend upon Him everyday of our lives. There are so many passages to support this. Let's look at them.

John 14:27 NKJV

[27] Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  

Psalms 34:4 NKJV

[4] I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

[10] Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Joshua 1:9 NKJV

[9] Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV

[6] Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Psalms 23:4 NKJV

[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalms 91:2-16 NIV

[2] I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” [3] Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. [4] He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. [5] You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. [7] A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. [8] You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. [9] If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, [10] no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. [11] For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; [12] they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. [13] You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. [14] “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. [15] He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. [16] With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalms 55:22 NKJV

[22] Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Proverbs 29:25 NKJV

[25] The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

Proverbs 3:25-26 NKJV

[25] Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; [26] For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

Psalms 23:6 NKJV

[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Psalms 46:11 NKJV

[11] The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Isaiah 35:4 NIV

[4] say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Isaiah 54:14 NKJV

[14] In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

See? God is in control. He provides for us, protects us, and keeps us. So there is no need to constantly live in fear. He is in control!! He loves all of us with His perfect love. So that should take away our fears.

1 John 4:18 NIV

[18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Have confidence in God's perfect love for you, believe Him at His Word, trust in Him, and that will get rid of fear, worry, and anxiety!! Being in Christ, live in the freedom He provides!! Trust God, relax, and enjoy your lives. Do this:

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

[7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

[6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 3:5-8 NIV

[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. [8] This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Please share with others.

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Purpose of the Church

God's family, the Church is the largest organization on the planet today. With 2.3 billion members, it is bigger than the population of India and China combined. Having said that, what is our purpose on the planet? There are thousands of wonderful functions of the Church in helping the oppressed, the poor and needy, the marginalized, etc. What is the primary purpose the Church was created for?

Jesus told us right before He ascended back to heaven.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

[18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There it is. We exist so others can be "born again" and adopted into the kingdom of God. We exist so others will be saved and get to go to heaven too. The Church has to make this the main priority, so that others will be saved and receive God's gift of eternal life.

However, distraction from our purpose comes in billions of different forms. Satan and the dark forces in the heavenly realms make this their main goal. With sins, temptations, trials, problems that they exert upon the Church, their chief goal is to distract the Church away from it's main purpose which is to "seek and save the lost."

One can look around and see how the majority of life around us distracts us away from our primary purpose, which is being those God will use to draw others to Himself.

So, we, the Church, have to plant our feet and stand firm by the power of the Holy Spirit within us and never get distracted from our primary purpose. We have to be resolute in our committment for God to use us so others can be saved. 

We start by "the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." Love for all mankind is how God reaches the lost. We start there. When we do, God then draws the lost to Himself.

Our purpose? Reaching the lost so they can be saved. Dance all around it if you want to, but at the end of the day, that's our main purpose.

Please share with others.

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

How To Give To Others

In a world where many times people focus on getting, as Christians we are taught to focus on giving. We are to contribute to the lives of others so "that they may see our good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven."

In today's passage as we continue our study in Luke, Jesus sheds light on this subject to the Pharisee he was visiting with. So let's jump right in.

Luke 11:39-41 NIV

[39] Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. [40] You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? [41] But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

In verse 41, Jesus articulates a new idea about giving to the poor. While the Pharisees were always focused on how men saw them (the outside of the cup), Jesus was saying to attend to their heart, their spirit, their character, and anything else that makes up the inner man (the inside of the cup).

Now, the new perspective on giving that he is introducing is this: give the "inside of the cup" to the poor. Give your inner being and all that encompasses to the poor and then "greed and wickedness" will not creep into our inner being like it did to the Pharisees and the Experts of the law.

Be focused on giving your inner man to the poor, your love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, sympathy, etc. and this would make the entire person clean inside and out. Naturally when we give our inner man to the poor through loving and caring for them, residual acts of giving will occur such as giving resources, food, clothing, shelter, money, etc. The main emphasis is how to make the entire person "clean," which is giving of ourselves to those in need. 

Why do this? Because God is using us so others can be saved too. Always this. The Church is used so others can go to heaven too.

So, instead of automatically thinking about giving money to help the poor, like most people have been taught to do, think about ways you can give yourself, give your inner man to the poor. Be their friend. Care about them. Love them. Show grace and mercy to them, and various other things from the heart, and this will "clean" you inside and out. Your love will not be a stagnant, dead lake that just sits in your heart decaying and unused. Instead it will be a flowing river, ever flowing outward into the hearts and lives of others. It will benefit all those around you, and they will thank God for you. God will be able to fulfill His purpose through you. He will be able to save people because of the love you give to those around you.

Please share with others.

I love you all!!

Jeffrey Post

Your Focus Matters

 As Christians, there are thousands of things that grab our attention on any given day. Using our five senses, we are constantly influenced by things external to us. In this passage today, Jesus talks about the key entry point where things external to us get inside our spirit. Therefore, we always want to be aware of what we focus on because it has the ability to transform our entire being. This is complimentary to my other blog entry about thinking about good things. So here we go.

Luke 11:33-36 NIV

[33]  “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. [34] Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. [35] See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. [36] Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” 

If you focus on good things which in this context is "light," then your whole being will reflect that and shine it out into your world. Conversely, when you focus on bad things or "darkness," then you will transform your whole being into something dark, evil, or bad. That darkness will be seen by everyone you encounter. You will emit darkness into the world around you, and we don't want that!

What you focus on with your eyes is who you will become. That's why Paul emphasized in Phillipians to focus on good things:

Philippians 4:8 NIV

[8] Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

That's why King Solomon admonished us to guard our heart.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV

[23] Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

It's also why King David said:

Psalms 119:37 NIV

[37] Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

What you focus on all the time is who you will become. 

So, having said that, we should monitor what we focus on because we represent Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:20a NIV

[20] We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us...

We belong to Jesus now.

Romans 14:8 NIV

[8] If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 

As Christians, God uses us to draw people to Himself so that they will believe and be saved. He can't use us if we are full of darkness or bad things. Therefore, what we focus on is so important.

Let's pursue the good things of life and be everything God needs the Church to be so that He can save others through us.

Please share this with others.

Love you all,

Jeffrey Post

Persistence In Prayer

Brothers and sisters, we are the righteousness of God because we are in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

[21] God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Being righteous, when we pray and talk to the Father, our prayers are "powerful and effective."

James 5:16 NIV

[16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Also, when we pray and "make our requests known to God," He will not withhold any good thing from us and He will give "good and perfect gifts" to us, His children.

Psalms 84:11 NIV

[11] For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Psalms 34:10 NIV

[10] The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

James 1:17 NIV

[17] Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

So, in today's passage, Jesus is telling us to be persistent in prayer for whatever we need from the Father. Keep talking to God about it in prayer, over and over again. He will give it to us just like the man in the parable gave his friend what he needed because of his persistence.

Luke 11:5-13 NIV

[5] Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; [6] a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ [7] And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ [8] I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. [9]  “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [11]  “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

Jesus also explained this on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew.

Matthew 7:7-11 NIV

[7]  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [9]  “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 

God wants to give us "good gifts." He wants us to persist in asking Him for whatever we need because this shows we are solely dependent upon Him. Pray and ask over and over, then have faith and "believe you have received it" and "it will be yours."

Mark 11:24 NIV

[24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

Look here:

James 4:2b. NIV

[2b.]...You do not have because you do not ask God. 

He will give us good gifts. So whatever it is, ASK and be persistent!!

He will never let us down. Ever.

Love you. Share with others.

Jeffrey Post