Pleasing to the Lord

Pleasing to the Lord
Os Hillman

"Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord." -Leviticus 6:21

There is a requirement to be blessed at a deeper spiritual level by God. Christ requires it of each of His servants. He required it of Paul when He struck him down on the Damascus Road. He required it of Joseph when he was left in the pit and then sold into slavery. He required it of Jacob when he left his homeland penniless and needy. He required it of most every major leader that He used significantly - brokenness.

Brokenness cannot be achieved on your own. It is something God does Himself. We cannot determine that we are going to be broken, but we can refuse to become broken. When God begins this deeper work in our lives, we can kick and scream and refuse the process. We can manipulate and strive to stay on top, but this only delays His work.

Pride and mammon are ruling strongholds of the workplace. Brokenness is considered a weak position in the workplace. However, God says until we are broken we cannot be an aroma pleasing to the Lord. God wants you to be an aroma in the workplace. In order for this to happen, you and I must be a broken vessel in His hand. Pray that God would allow you to become a pleasing aroma to Him no matter the cost.

Spiritual Discernment

Spiritual Discernment
Neil Anderson

"Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people
and to distinguish between right and wrong" -1 Kings 3:9

Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.

The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (1 Kings 3:11-12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person--even an enemy.

The Greek word for discernment-- diakrino --simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit.

Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom.

Thank You, Father, for the discernment Your Holy Spirit provides.
Without You I couldn't avoid the land mines the enemy places in my path.

Baptism at the Red Sea

Baptism at the Red Sea
Os Hillman

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" -Romans 6:4

When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, he took them to the edge of the Red Sea. The people saw the sea before them and heard the chariots of the Egyptians behind them. They knew they were trapped - and they lost their faith in God. They thought God was no longer at work in their lives. In panic and despair, they turned on Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out into the desert to die? When we were slaves in Egypt, didn't we tell you, 'Just leave us alone and let us continue serving the Egyptians.' Better to live as slaves than to die out here!"

They couldn't imagine that God's path to freedom actually led straight into and through the deep waters! The waters of the Red Sea, like the New Testament sacrament of baptism, are a symbol of death. When Moses parted the Red Sea, the people of Israel walked upon the dry seabed with walls of water on either side. They descended into the depths of the sea. They died to their old selves and rose to a new life that led to the Promised Land.

Like the people of Israel in their journey, we panic and cry out to God, "Did You bring me out into this desert of adversity to die?" We would rather live as slaves than die to self and yield control of our lives to God. But God takes us through the depths so that we can emerge as new people, ready to enter the Promised Land.

In general, I've observed that the greater and higher the calling, the more intense the adversity. I'm not saying one person's call is more important, but I am saying it may have a more far reaching impact on others. This often requires greater preparation.

If you find yourself in deep water, thank God today that He is preparing you for a life that is designed to impact many.

When The Arm Of Flesh Fails You

When The Arm Of Flesh Fails You
Dr Harold J. Sala

"My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26

A passerby stopped to see a Little League baseball team that played in a park near his home. As he sat down in the bleachers by first base, he called to one of the boys asking, "What's the score?" "We're behind 14 to nothing," he said with a grin. "You don't look very discouraged," commented the man.

"Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face, adding, "Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet." Who won? I don't know, but I'll tell you for sure, when that boy grows up, he's the kind I would like to have working for me.

Winning in life, however, is not always a matter of gritting your teeth and trouncing your opposition. At times it is a matter of taking one more step by faith, realizing that the whole situation is beyond your control and that, if God is willing, He causes the wind to subside, the fever to dissipate, the opposition to soften, and the sun to shine.

True, God honors the determined spirit that presses on, but the reality in life is that all the determination and courage in the world aren’t enough to overcome some obstacles and situations. That's when God makes the difference. As the Psalmist put it: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26).

Think of Daniel in the lion's den. If he thought, "Look what I got myself into; now how do I get myself out of here?" there is no record of it. He had a quiet confidence that he was in God's strong hand, no matter what happened.

Or ponder a Jewish girl by the name of Esther, whose uncle had engineered her into appealing for the lives of the Jews in Babylon. "If I perish, I perish," she cried, and pushed forward. She didn't perish but rather saved the lives of thousands.

"Righteous Gentiles" is the term that Jews give to those such as Corrie ten Boom and many more who without thought of personal safety or concern, hid Jewish men and women fleeing from the Gestapo and SS troops of Hitler's Germany. These were not heroes who took a machine gun and a dozen grenades and took on the enemy, but quietly and determinedly went about their business doing the right thing, no matter what the cost.

That phrase "but God" appears time and time in the writings of the New Testament. It speaks of His reversing a situation, turning it around, changing everything. When Paul was on his second missionary journey, a friend traveling with him fell sick, and it looked like Epaphroditus was going to die. "Indeed," says Paul, "he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow" (Philippians 2:27). Mark these words but God in your Bible.

Is there anything too hard for God to do? Not if you believe what the Bible says. At the end of what you can do, there is the strong hand of God who can make a difference.

Do you ever wonder why we so often strive to make things happen ourselves, instead of dropping to our knees, lifting our hearts towards heaven and quietly saying, "Lord, I'm at the end of myself. I know you can make the difference, and no matter what happens, I'm going to trust you. Please God, turn this thing around."

Such is not a plea of desperation but rather the heart cry of a child of God who knows that the voice of the Father, the touch of His hand, the desire of His heart makes all the difference in the world. Thank God, He is the difference.

Philippians 3

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Holy Father, I thank You and praise You for who You and what You are. I thank You Lord that You are a loving Father, who has charted my race for me before the beginnings of time. I thank You Lord, that You know the end of my race and the outcome if I will only follow You. I thank you Lord that I can choose to run that race and that You will provide the example and the strength I need to complete my race. In the precious name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen and Amen

Overruled by God

Overruled by God
Chip Brogden

"He who comes from above is above all;
he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.
He who comes from heaven is above all." -John 3:31

If people come against you in the flesh, let them come against you. If they wish to rail and argue with you according to the flesh, do not respond in kind. If they attack you without cause, let them attack, because the fleshly, the carnal, the natural cannot defeat the spiritual.

The one who is submitted to the Lord has authority over those who remain unsubmitted to Him. Flesh is overruled by Spirit. Hate is overruled by Love. Darkness is overruled by Light. Death is overruled by Life. Earth is overruled by Heaven.

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Dear Lord Jesus, You alone can supply the life I am called to live. I humbly agree with Your word that my resources are marred by a tendency to sin. Teach me to trust in Your Holy Spirit for liberation from living by my flesh. I thank You in advance for the faithful ways You will answer this prayer. Lord Jesus, live in and through me by the power of Your Spirit, Amen and Amen.

God's Authority

God's Authority
Os Hillman

"I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on Me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me...." -John 14:30-31

There is a constant war going on between our flesh and the Spirit. As Christians, the Spirit seeks to move us under the authority of His domain in order for us to fulfill all that we were created for. Every person was designed to be under some form of authority. Jesus modeled this in His own life. He lived under the authority of His heavenly Father. He made no independent decisions. He, unlike us, was sinless and always remained under His Father's authority. He acknowledged that the prince of this world has a hold on many, but did not have a hold on Jesus.

The prince of this world does have his hold on many in our world, even among our brothers and sisters. The one thing most of us want the greatest is the freedom to make our own decisions. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden when the decision was made to exercise a personal right: freedom to decide, freedom of choice, freedom from hindrances, freedom from pain. However, Jesus chose to live under the authority of the Father's desire for His life. He was the ultimate model of a man under authority.

Each day we must determine if we'll willingly choose to be under the authority of the Father and the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is a choice each of us must make. It is a choice that actually leads to freedom, not bondage. Choosing to live under the authority of our heavenly Father frees us to gain the greatest fulfillment in life-His mission and the purposes He has for us. It is the little decisions of daily life that reveal whether we truly live under His authority.

Being Fully Persuaded

Being Fully Persuaded
Os Hillman

"Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised." -Romans 4:21

Why did God consider Abraham a righteous man? It was because Abraham looked beyond his own limitations of age and strength and considered God as the one who could accomplish His own goals. Abraham came to a place in his life where he realized it had little to do with him and all to do with God. His part was initiating the faith within himself.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God (Romans 4:18-20).

What are the things in your life that are mere impossibilities? What are the mountains in your life? Are these there in order to build your faith in the one who can enable you to ascend to the peak? Once you know that it is His will for you to pursue, do it with faith. Faith requires action when we know it is He who is leading. It may require risk. Faith is sometimes spelled R-I-S-K. Abraham did not limit God. It is this confidence in God that God honored and rewarded. He wants to do the same with you and me.

Where is my bread?

John 6:32
Chip Brogden

"My Father gives you the True Bread from Heaven." -John 6:32

Why are we following the Lord? Is it for what He can do for us? Is it so we can enjoy His blessing? Is it because He supplies our needs? Do we want the gifts or the Gift? If our motivation is for blessings then we will soon be disappointed. Indeed, from this time forward, many of His disciples turned back and stopped following Him. How many of us will continue to follow when the Lord fails to respond to us in the way we have grown accustomed?

The Lord may provide you with bread for a season, but there is a difference between looking to the Lord for bread and looking to the Lord as bread. May God show us the difference. The Gift of God is not what Christ can do for you, but Who He Himself is.

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Almighty God, thank You so much for binding Yourself to our world in Jesus and binding me close to You through His Lordship in my life. I look forward to the day when the Lord who I kneel to worship today will be recognized by all the living and the dead as the One True Lord. I pledge to You Father, that I will live this day to honor Him and by honoring Him, honor You. In His name I pray. Amen and Amen.

An Encounter With God

An Encounter With God
Os Hillman

"So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision, I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless." - Daniel 10:8

Daniel received a vision that troubled him greatly. He wanted understanding of this vision. He set himself out to understand the vision by fasting for three weeks. Three days after his three weeks of fasting, a messenger of God appeared to Daniel. The messenger explained that Heaven had heard his prayer from the first day, but the angel was temporarily prevented from coming by the prince of Persia, a demon angel, who sought to thwart God's messenger from coming to Daniel.

There are times in our lives when we must set ourselves to seeking God with all our hearts. It is in these times that we hear from Heaven in ways we may never have experienced before. Daniel's perseverance in prayer was rewarded with a personal encounter with Heaven. However, in order to receive from God, Daniel had to be left alone, have his strength removed, and be placed in a helpless condition. When we have no ability in our own strength to move Heaven or the events around us, we are in position to hear from Heaven. It is the acknowledgment of our humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a personal encounter with the living God.

Do you need a personal encounter with God today? Do you need God to intervene on your behalf? Seek Him with all your heart. Demonstrate to Him you are serious. Get alone and acknowledge your helpless condition before Him. He will reward you with His presence.

A More Excellent Way

A More Excellent Way
Dorsey Marshall

"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way."

-1 Corinthians 12:31

The present day Christian is pictured in the fig tree that Jesus rebuked as He passed by. The fig tree was not producing fruit, just leaves. For many, the excitement doesn't last, emotions wane, and spiritual fervor, as good as it is, isn't consistent. When I see and hear the comments of many of God's people, I am moved to pray for a deeper passion and intimacy for God. To many, God is a last resort in the time of trouble, rather than a first response.

God has planned and purposed you and me to live "a more excellent way," yet, we are often confined to a level of comfort with mediocrity. Our walk with Christ is a journey initiated by our decision to be our best for God and for His kingdom. If we are going to be at our best for Him, why do we settle for "second-best" in our daily activities? This often means that there is a departure from excellence to living lives of mediocrity. This could result from family pressure to conform to the family norm, or peer pressure. Even personal pressure from your past can bring about the change, because your yesterdays can paralyze your effectiveness, and be a powerful and destructive force to your future.

Then, we can easily become excusiologists. Because of our fear of failure, our personal insecurity, and fear of other's opinions, we make excuses for our lack of excellence. Excuses are not only the easy route, but the wide path, a cultural norm ... even a church norm. When something doesn't go the way we think it should go, we shift blame, or make excuses. Those who continually choose to make excuses tend to live a lie, because they have never taken responsibility for their choices.

The pursuit of excellence is a journey, not a destination. Life is a series of choices, not a series of chances! You are experiencing today the results of the decisions you made yesterday. Your quality of the journey is dependent on the moment-by-moment choices you make. Whenever you take the path of excellence, it can be painful. Your personal desires and habits are comfortable and don't want to be stretched. The choices you make may be on an opposing path from the one your friends and family have taken. Pursuing excellence is a lifestyle choice you must make every moment of the day.

LET US PRAY: "Father, lead me and guide me along the path of excellence, In Jesus' Name, Amen!"

The Strength of Brokenness

The Strength of Brokenness
Os Hillman

"The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength." -1 Samuel 2:4

There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength. How can this be? How can brokenness be strength? In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has to break His servants so that they might have a new kind of strength that is not human in origin. It is strength in spirit that is born only through brokenness.

Paul was broken on the Damascus road. Peter was broken after Jesus was taken prisoner. Jacob was broken at Peniel. David was broken after his sin with Bathsheba. The list could go on of those the Lord had to break in different ways before they could be used in the Kingdom.

When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength. Then, new strength emerges that God uses mightily. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a new kind of strength and experience not known before. Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless.

You Are Still Worldly

You Are Still Worldly
Edward Powell

"I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?" -1 Corinthians 3:2-3

Have you ever heard the statement from an unbeliever..."Why should I become a Christian? I don't see any difference between my life and theirs. I don't see how their faith in Christ has affected the way they live." What a sad commentary on the average believer from those outside the church. I'm afraid this is starkly true of many who profess faith in Christ.

Paul had ministered in Corinth and many became believers. However, when he returned, he saw little, if any, growth in their spiritual lives. He concluded that he must repeat the basic principles of Christianity so they could understand and be nurtured. He found them quarreling, divided, jealous, and acting as mere men, not as ones who had received the grace of God in their lives and were seeking to be mature in their faith.

This condition exists today all too often. One of the reasons is that at the time of their salvation, repentance of sin was not stressed. Emphasis is put on simply believing that Christ died for our sins, and if you believe in HIS atoning sacrifice, you are saved.

This certainly is the main focus of our salvation, but there is also the imperative need for making a complete turn around to Jesus Christ, realizing the depth of our sin. Mark said, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15). Many today who make a "profession" of salvation live lives that have never changed from they were before salvation. They have never been "possessed" by Christ, therefore they remain dominated by their carnal nature, which follows the desires of the flesh. There is still envy, strife, anger, pride, and an unforgiving spirit. All these are the works of the flesh and the expression of a carnal spirit. Where these malicious characteristics prevail, you are still carnal.

For one to be changed from their carnal state to the spiritual, there must be sincere conviction of inward attitudes, such as pride, criticism of others, selfishness, arrogance, and any worldly pursuits that quench the Spirit and bind one in the bondage of SELF.

Until we admit our need, we will not seek God in our new relationship with Him for Him to deliver us from the "power of sin" in our lives. But God has not only provided atonement "for" our sin but he has provided every believer the Holy Spirit who alone enables us to have victory over sin in our daily lives. The whole aim of Christ's work in our redemption and our walk before others is that HE MAY BE ALL IN ALL.

This life of walking by the Spirit comes from God. HE will be our sufficiency for every encounter, when we cast ourselves completely at the foot of the cross. There must be a displacement of self-rule and the enthronement of God in our heart. Until God is THE priority of our life, we will wander on the perimeter of God's plan in inconsequential significance, and have an unfruitful, ineffective spiritual life.

Dare to launch out into the deep by faith, into the uncharted waters, that you may see His wonders there. Do not be content with a carnal nature that is concerned only with self. Dare to trust God for all He wants you to be, by letting HIM be the Lord of your life after salvation. Walking by the Spirit is "life on the highest plane."

You can have GOD'S BEST...when you turn the control of your life over to HIM, where GOD IS ALL IN ALL.

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Dear Lord. You know the many pressures which I face, and how easily I think of worldly solutions instead of seeking Your grace. Help me to find cleansing through Your blood shed on the cross, and to move from my earth-bound mindset - so that I will not be a disappointment to You. Although others may scorn the cross, help me to grow in my love for my crucified and risen Saviour to whom I am accountable. In Jesus' Name. Amen and Amen.

Knowledge that is Productive

Knowledge that is Productive
Os Hillman

"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:8

Productivity is a term all workplace believers can relate to. It is the by-product of what we desire from our work. Without productivity, we do not make sales, we do not deliver goods, and we do not achieve our goals. There are things in our work lives that can creep in making us unproductive. The same is true in our walk with God.

The apostle Peter tells us that we can become knowledgeable of Jesus but fail to be effective and productive in our relationship with Him. We are a society that has great knowledge, but our comparable scale of productivity from that knowledge is extremely weighted to the knowledge side. The apostle Peter tells us there is a solution to this dilemma.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Is your Christian experience filled with knowledge, but little power? Is there staleness in your walk with God? Is there unrest in your soul? It may be due to a need to develop character that only the Holy Spirit can develop out of an obedient heart. Ask the Lord today to add these qualities to your faith so that you can be productive as a soldier of Jesus Christ.

Losing Your Life for His Purposes

Losing Your Life for His Purposes
Os Hillman

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it." -Luke 9:24

When the time came for God to fulfill Joseph's dreams, Joseph himself had virtually no interest at all in it. Jesus said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it" (Luke 9:24). God wants to teach us a different set of values so that the kind of thing we start out wanting becomes secondary. God has something in mind for us that is far greater than the interest we began with.

Joseph's day of exaltation had arrived. Yet, through it all, a very real humiliation had to take place. We know about the humiliation Joseph had experienced for 13 years after being sold by his brothers into slavery, then taken to Egypt. We know how he was falsely accused and cast into prison.

Then came a different situation. Joseph had had a triumph and was given an exaltation, but the kind he really never asked for. He did not appear to be all that interested in what was about to happen. He watched as the Pharaoh took his ring off his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. Joseph never asked for that. All he wanted was to go home. He longed to go back to Canaan, to see his father, and to have his dreams fulfilled.

Therefore, here we find an extraordinary incongruity: a humiliation in the heart of vindication. A triumph that was the opposite of everything he, himself, could have envisaged. Joseph wanted to go home, but a one-way ticket to Canaan wasn't available. Before he knew it, he had Egypt in his hip pocket. He had never prayed for that. But God wanted Egypt. What God wanted is what Joseph got.

Joseph was given something that he could be trusted with because it didn't mean that much to him.

God’s Ministry Of Darkness

God’s Ministry Of Darkness
Neil Anderson

"For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." -2 Corinthians 4:11

What is the point of troubled times in our lives? What is God trying to do? What is He trying to teach us? Peter wrote, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation" (1 Peter 4:12, 13).

In God's ministry of testing, we learn a lot about ourselves. Whatever is left of simplistic advice such as "Read your Bible" or "Just work harder" or "Pray more" gets stripped away. Most people going through testing times would love to resolve the crisis, but they seemingly can't and don't know why.

In God's ministry of darkness we learn compassion. We learn to wait patiently with people. We learn to respond to the emotional needs of people who have lost hope. We weep with those who weep. We don't try to teach or instruct or advise. If God took away every external blessing and reduced our assets to nothing more than meaningful relationships, would that be enough to sustain us? Yes, I believe it would.

Perhaps God brings us to the end of our resources so we can discover the vastness of His. We don't hear many sermons about brokenness in our churches these days, yet in all four Gospels Jesus taught us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily, and follow Him. I don't know any painless way to die to ourselves, but I do know that it's necessary and that it's the best possible thing that could ever happen to us.

Proven character comes from persevering through the tribulations of life (Romans 5:3-5). Every great period of personal growth in my life and ministry has been preceded by a major time of testing.

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Faithfulness in Our Calling

Faithfulness in Our Calling
Os Hillman

"He went out to meet Asa and said to him, 'Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.'" -2 Chronicles 15:2

Asa was the king of Judah from 912-872 B.C. He reigned for 41 years and was known as a good king who served the Lord with great zeal. He reformed many things. He broke down idol worship to foreign gods; he put away male prostitutes and even removed his own mother from being queen because she worshiped an idol. The Scriptures say that as long as he sought the Lord, the Lord prospered his reign.

However, Asa was not totally faithful in his calling. There came a time in his life when he made a decision to no longer trust in the God of Israel. He lost his confidence in God as his deliverer. The prophet Hanani came to Asa to inform him that God's blessing was no longer on his life because of an ungodly alliance he had made.

Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war (2 Chronicles 16:8-9).
There are no guarantees that if we began well we will finish well. The life of Asa tells us this. It is only through God's grace that we can be faithful to our calling. Each of us is capable of falling away from God. Pray that God will keep you faithful to the purposes He has for your life. He strengthens those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

Believing God

Luke 8:25
Chip Brogden

Luke 8:25
"Where is your faith?"

What is faith? Is it a spiritual force? Is it a creative power? Is it a special gift from God, or something we have to develop on our own? According to the Bible, faith is simply believing that God is Who He says He is, and trusting that He will do what He says He will do. When Jesus says, "Where is your faith?" He's saying, "Don't you trust Me?"

I'm convinced that we have plenty of faith. The problem is we have faith in all the wrong things. Where is your faith? In yourself? In other people? Can you only trust what you see, hear, and experience, or will you dare to trust Someone you can't see? Believing the impossible makes the impossible possible.

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Dear Lord. I am ashamed to have been too passive in my faith, somehow assuming that holiness will stick to me if I go to church! How much my character still needs to be reformed, changing my focus of life so that Christ-likeness becomes my primary goal. Please help me to practice the faith I profess and to set objectives for progress in personal disciplines, so that I can be better equipped to work with You. In Christ’s name, Amen and Amen.

Learning to Stand

Learning to Stand
Os Hillman

Exodus 14:13
..."Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...."

The Israelites had just left 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They had fled to the desert, but they had come to a dead end at the Red Sea. Word reached them that Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was sending his troops to recapture the Israelites. They cried out to their leader Moses, complaining that he had brought them that far only to die in the desert.

Learning when to move and when to stand is the greatest challenge for a workplace believer. We are trained for action. We are not trained to sit idly and wait. We are trained to solve problems, not wait for them to resolve themselves. However, God says there are times to wait. We are to wait until He says go. If we go before He says go, we likely will make our situation worse. If the Israelites had attempted to cross the Red Sea before it parted, they would have drowned. If they had fled north to try to avoid the Egyptians, God would not have moved in a miraculous way. God cannot work on our behalf if we continually try to solve our problem when He has instructed us to stand still. Standing still is sometimes the greatest action we can do, although it is the most difficult thing to do in the Christian walk.

Stand still when He says stand and see the deliverance of the Lord.

Spiritual Pacesetter

Spiritual Pacesetter
Charles R. Swindoll

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4-8

I don't often recommend a volume without reservation, but I think every man should read Temptations Men Face by Tom Eisenman. I'm not saying I agree with everything in it, or that you will, but his observations, insights, and suggestions are both penetrating and provocative. In fact, that book got me thinking about the top temptations fathers face.

• First, the temptation to give things instead of giving ourselves. Don't misunderstand. Providing for one's family is biblical. First Timothy 5:8 calls the man who fails to provide for his family's needs "worse than an unbeliever." But the temptation I'm referring to goes far beyond the basic level of need. It's the toys vs. time battle: a dad's desire to make up for his long hours and absence by unloading material stuff on his family rather than being there when he is needed.

• Second, the temptation to save our best for the workplace. How easy it is for dads to use up their energy, enthusiasm, humor, and zest for life at work, leaving virtually nothing for the end of the day.

• Third, the temptation to deliver lectures rather than earning respect by listening and learning. When things get out of hand at home, it's our normal tendency to reverse the order James 1:19 suggests. First, we get mad. Then, we shout. Last, we listen. When that happens, we get tuned out.

• Fourth, the temptation to demand perfection from those under our roof. We fathers can be extremely unrealistic, can't we? Fathers are commanded not to exasperate their children (Ephesians 6:4).

• Fifth, the temptation to find intimate fulfillment outside the bonds of monogamy. Thanks to our ability to rationalize, we men can talk ourselves into the most ridiculous predicaments imaginable.

• Sixth, the temptation to underestimate the importance of your cultivating your family's spiritual appetite. Fathers, listen up: Your wife and kids long for you to be their spiritual pacesetter.

Ready for a challenge? Begin to spend time with God, become a man of prayer, help your family know how deeply you love Christ and desire to honor Him. How about facing the music and then changing the tune? Say a firm NO to any of these subtle, sneaky, slippery temptations that have slipped into your life.

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Pastor of my soul, I come to You seeking Your protection and rest as one of Your sheep, often harried and driven by life's pressures and temptations. But I come to You, not demanding, but submitting myself to be used for Your glory -- not just today, but for the rest of my life. In Jesus I pray. Amen and Amen.

Receiving Your Inheritance

Receiving Your Inheritance
Os Hillman

"But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it...." - Joshua 19:47

What is the spiritual inheritance God has reserved for you? When God told the Israelites they were going to receive the Promised Land, it was not given to them on a silver platter. In fact, they would encounter 39 battles in taking the land God promised to them. It took a joint effort between God and the Israelites to engage and battle the enemy that maintained control of the land.

God has given you and me a spiritual inheritance that must be won in the heavenlies. A dear friend and mentor once counseled me after watching my life over a period and said, "The Lord has given you a spiritual inheritance. That inheritance lies in relationships, and because it lies in relationships, that is the place the enemy has attacked you most. The enemy always attacks us in the area where we are to receive our inheritance. You must walk in faithfulness and obedience to His righteousness in how you deal with relationships." These were words of wisdom that have since guided my path. The Lord has proven these words to be true.

What is the spiritual inheritance He has reserved for you? What areas of your inheritance must you take possession of? The enemy of your soul does not want you to take possession. Put on your armor and begin walking in obedience into the areas God has called you to possess.

Be Ready For Christ’s Return!

Be Ready For Christ’s Return!
Bill Gothard

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." -1 Thessalonians 4:16

One way a father prepares for Christ’s return is by faithfully sharing the Gospel
with his children until each one repents and is saved.

We do not know the day nor the hour of Christ’s return for His Church, but those who are “in Christ,” both the living and the dead shall be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air. Hence, anyone, including a son or daughter, who has not received God’s gift of salvation will be left behind when Christ returns.

Every child is a priceless treasure entrusted to parents from the Lord. Part of this command to watch for Christ’s return involves recognizing the agenda of Satan, which is to steal, kill, and destroy. (See John 10:10.)

While each person is ultimately responsible for the choices he makes, parents should do everything they can to protect their children from being carried away in the thief’s “spoils” and to teach them of God’s salvation. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:15).

“No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods,
except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house” (Mark 3:27).

Let’s not only watch for the return of Christ; let’s be ready for it by making sure that all the members of our families understand what it means to be a true child of God. This may require sharing the Gospel with a child numerous times as his understanding develops, but the loss is too great if we don’t!

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Lord, I thank You that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Your Word and that Christ will return to the earth with power and great glory. I thank You for Your power and for Your precious promises, and I ask that I would seek the interests of Christ Jesus and share His life with others. In Jesus' name I praise You, today and forever. Amen and Amen

Try Fake A Ressurrection!

Try Fake A Resurrection
Chip Brogden

"For I determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." -1 Corinthians 2:2

Religion seeks to reform a man; the Cross seeks to crucify him. Religion may fail to bring about the desired result, but the Cross never fails to achieve its end.

Mankind will pursue morality, virtue, spirituality, even perform religious works and good deeds, in order to avoid death on a Cross. But there are no wounds, no scars, no evidence of having ever died and been made alive unto God. Either a man has never died, or he has died and been raised again. You cannot fake a resurrection.

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Lord, You died so that we might walk in a new way -- Your way. Yet too often, we want Your way without giving up our old ways. We want to claim You without crucifying us. We are guilty of spiritual laziness. We want an eternally secure position without the effort of putting that position into earthly practice. We want to be clean without getting rid of the dirt. Forgive us, Lord, and thank You for Your graceful Spirit, Who is faithful to continue coercing our cooperation in His job of sanctifying us until we see You. Amen and Amen.

Humility in Relationships

Humility in Relationships
Os Hillman

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" - 1 Peter 5:5b

I'll never forget the first time I discovered what a feeling was. It was in my early forties. "Surely not!" you may be thinking. Yes, it is true. Since then, I have discovered many men still live in this condition. It took an older mentor to help me understand the difference between information and a feeling. Wives are frustrated because their husbands share information, but not their feelings. They want to know what is going on inside their man. The fact is, most men have not been taught to identify feelings, much less how to share them. It is something that men must learn to do because it is not a natural trait. If they do share their feelings, society often portrays them as weak. No man willingly wants to be portrayed as weak.

In order to become an effective friend and leader, one must learn to be vulnerable with others and develop an ability to share feelings. It is a vital step to becoming a real person with whom others can connect emotionally. This is not easy to do if your parents did not teach you to share your emotional life with others. Emotional vulnerability is especially hard for men. Author Dr. Larry Crabb states,

Men who as boys felt neglected by their dads often remain distant from their own children. The sins of fathers are passed on to children, often through the dynamic of self-protection. It hurts to be neglected, and it creates questions about our value to others. So to avoid feeling the sting of further rejection, we refuse to give that part of ourselves we fear might once again be received with indifference. When our approach to life revolves around discipline, commitment, and knowledge [which the Greek influence teaches us] but runs from feeling the hurt of unmet longings that come from a lack of deeper relationships, then our efforts to love will be marked more by required action than by liberating passion. We will be known as reliable, but not involved. Honest friends will report that they enjoy being with us, but have trouble feeling close. Even our best friends (including spouses) will feel guarded around us, a little tense and vaguely distant. It's not uncommon for Christian leaders to have no real friends. [Larry Crabb, Inside Out (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, n.d.), 98-99.]

If this describes you, why not begin on a new journey of opening up your life to others in a way that others can see who you really are? It might be scary at first, but as you grow in this area, you will find new freedom in your life. Then, others will more readily connect with you.

When Planting Yields No Fruit

When Planting Yields No Fruit
Os Hillman

"You have planted much, but have harvested little...." - Haggai 1:6

Have you ever worked and worked only to yield very little from your efforts? Such was the case for the workplace believers during the time of the prophet Haggai. Finally, God spoke through the prophet Haggai to inform the people why their efforts were not yielding any fruit. There was a specific reason this was happening.

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of My house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands" (Haggai 1:9-11).

God had finally had enough. His priorities were not His people's priorities. So, He withheld in order to get their attention. Zerubbabel was governor of Judah at the time. He was a godly man who sought to do God's will. He listened as the prophet gave these words; then he responded.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord (Haggai 1:12).

Sometimes God has to stir up the spirit of one man to initiate needed change. Zerubbabel was that man. Scriptures say, "The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel" (Haggai 1:14). God is stirring up the spirit of a remnant of workplace believers throughout the world today. They are seeing what breaks God's heart, and they're responding. Has God placed the spirit of Zerubbabel in you? Are you one who will make a difference for the Kingdom, or are you concerned about building bigger and better barns? The Lord is calling forth His people in these last days to make a difference. Ask Him what He wants to do through you.

The Peril of Comparing

The Peril of Comparing
Jerry Bridges

"When they . . . compare themselves with one another,
they are without understanding." -2 Corinthians 10:12

We constantly see believers around us who seem more blessed by God than we are. Some are more gifted in spiritual abilities; others always succeed with little effort; others seem to have few problems or concerns. Probably none of us is exempt from the temptation to envy someone else's blessings and secretly grumble at God, or even charge him with rank injustice, for giving another person more in some way than he has given us.

Yet God in his sovereignty has the right to bless each of us as he chooses. Consider these words from the apostle Paul: "But who are you, o man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'why have you made me like this?' Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" (Romans 9:20-21).

Regardless of how we understand the particular application of Paul's teaching, we cannot escape its basic principle: God is sovereign. And he's sovereign in every area of life. Our Creator has the right to endow each of us at birth with different physical and mental abilities, different temperament characteristics, and different natural talents. He also has the right to give each of us different spiritual gifts. And it's obvious God exercises those rights. We're not created equal nor given equal opportunities throughout life. Each of us has his or her own unique set of circumstances, some appearing much more favorable than others. Since God is under no obligation to any of us, he's free to bless some more than others as he chooses. He has the right to do what he wants with his blessings.

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O Great and awesome LORD, I confess that I have often sought greatness through the self-exalting paths of this fallen world. Many times, I have compared myself to others, thinking that would make me the greater. Lord, I repent. I want to walk before You day by day as a humble, needy, dependent child of the great King of kings, in Jesus’ Name, Amen & Amen.

Performing Miracles With Your Staff

Performing Miracles With Your Staff
Os Hillman

"But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." -Exodus 4:17

What is the staff God has put into your hand? Is it being a builder? Is it being an office worker? Is it being a doctor? Moses' staff represented his vocation as a shepherd. God had something in mind for his vocation - to perform miracles. And awesome miracles He did! God turned the Nile river into blood with the touch of the staff. He turned the staff into a snake. He parted the Red Sea with it. These are just a few of the miracles God did with that staff.

When we yield our talents and abilities to the Lord, God can perform miracles through them. First, Moses had to yield what He had in his hand to God. Only after this took place could God use that staff. As long as Moses held onto it, God could not and would not perform miracles through it.

Until we come to this place with our heavenly Father, we will fail to see miracles performed in our work. He delights in showing His power through us. When we become an open vessel, we can expect to see things happen.

Have you given your staff to the Lord? Offer it to Him and see what He might want to do through it. Your life will never be the same.

Stand Our Ground

Stand Our Ground
Steve Troxel

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." -1 Corinthians 10:13

Our Christian walk of growing closer to God and becoming more like His Son involves a process of "renewing our mind" (Romans 12:2). Our mind is renewed as we begin to consider things of eternal value rather than the fading things of the world. But no matter how far we mature in our walk, distractions attempt to consume our thoughts and distance us from God.

Distractions always come in some form of temptation. There is a wide range of self indulging, flesh-filled desires and power hungry ambitions which tempt us at every turn; but there are also the more deceptive temptations like laziness, worry, pride, and overfilled schedules (and don't even get me started about my selfishness!). Each of these are common tools of the enemy used to separate us from an intimate relationship with God. But God is not surprised by temptation. He understands and has provided a way out.

In our fight against temptation, we must first understand that being tempted does not mean we have been singled out. Temptations are not an issue of Salvation, and they do not diminish God's love - our temptations are "common to man." Though we don't seem very good at talking about our struggles, we ALL face forms of temptation. We are a Family and have much more in common than we realize.

Since we know we will face temptation as part of our daily battle, let's start our day by getting prepared. No soldier enters war without the proper equipment. Neither should we enter a clearly hostile environment without making sure to get properly dressed; "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground" (Ephesians 6:13).

The middle of a tempting situation is not the time to make decisions on how to react. Temptation decisions must be solidified in our heart long before the enemy attempts to pull us off God's path. Conquering temptation is only possible by growing deep roots of commitment and Godly character through daily studying His Word, praying for strength, and trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide our steps - by putting on the "FULL armor of God." I must start today asking God for the patience and strength to give myself away.

Our Heavenly Father has given us the tools, and He desires for us to live a victorious life. The attacks are going to come (and they will keep coming!) but our way out is to be prepared. If we will begin each day by getting fully dressed for battle, we WILL bear the temptation - we WILL stand our ground.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

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Father, I thank You for Your Holy Word. I thank You Lord that for every temptation, trial, or test that comes our way, You have an answer, a way of escape. You have given us through Your Word everything we need for this life if we will only hear it and obey it. Thank You Lord that You know all of our needs and You promised to meet them if only we would seek You and Your righteousness first. Help me Lord, to make my life a reflection of Your Word. To live my life like Jesus did, who both proclaimed and lived Your truth. In Jesus mighty name, I pray. Amen and Amen