Jehoram's death was a fulfillment of prophecy. And what a sad epitaph for Jehoram, "He passed away, to no one's regret"

Ahaziah, his son succeeded him as king and had much to overcome. His father Jehoram had been a poor excuse for a king to say the least. His grandfather was King Ahab. And to top it off
"his mother encouraged him in doing wrong."

Ben-Hadad, king of Aram sent a gift to Elisha. What a gift! Forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. What did he think Elisha would do with such a "gift"?

In the exchange between Jehu and Joram in 2 Kings, Jehu poses this essential question, "How can there be peace as long as idolatry and witchcraft abound?" Indeed how can there be peace in anyone's life as long as idolatry runs rampant?

Jezebel's demise was exactly what was prophesied. However...the spirit of Jezebel lives on in the form of generational demons.

Rev 2:20
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

And this was in a church! Any connections for today's church? Are there pagan teachings in our churches today that lead people into sexual immorality? Do church leaders hide behind a facade of political correctness and claim that social issues are "political" instead of Biblical?

Are these the leaders that Jesus calls hypocrites? "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don't enter it yourselves, and you don't permit others to enter when they try. Mat 23:13

Devotion: Giving and Receiving
 

Giving and Receiving


"Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account" (Philippians 4:17).

The apostle Paul had a tent-making business. However, over time, it was evident that more and more of his time were being given to vocational ministry activities. That required him to receive income from those to whom he invested his life. It became increasingly difficult to run a business and travel and minister.

His letter to the Philippians gives us a perspective on giving. Although Paul appreciated the support financially, his real joy came in the fact that their gift was being credited to their Heavenly account.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:14-19 emphasis mine).

Paul had a confidence that God would always provide what he needed. Sometimes it came from his business. Sometimes it came through others. He was not overly concerned with where his provision would come from. His confidence was in God, his provider. So, his attitude was in affirming the benefit that came to the giver from a Kingdom perspective.
Paul learned that it wasn't a church or a business that was his provider. It was God. These were merely tools God used to support him.

God has the power to help or to overthrow
 

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Posted: 15 Jun 2015 03:00 AM PDT

Amaziah hired fighting men from Israel to help him in battle. ButEven if you go out and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.

When Amaziah sent the mercenaries home, they were furious, even though they went home with the promised money. Why? Could it be because they wanted the plunder as well as the money? Later on they raided many Judean towns, killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

Amaziah tried to fight his battles on his own or by enlisting the help of others when it was promisedThe Lord can give you much more than that.

How often do GodÔÇÖs people turn to something or someone other than God for help to fight their battles? Many people, including the people of God, are near collapse carrying an oppressive burden of emotional problems and addictions. We often seek psychological and medicinal ÔÇ£band aidÔÇØ treatments for these problems and addictions when a Biblical cure is what is needed. Instead of seeking temporary worldly solutions we should allow Scripture to surgically and permanently remove them.

Heb 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Ezek 11:19-20
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

It means facing our emotional problems and addictions and allowing the removal of our heart of stone that frees us to follow in obedience to Him.

Amaziah discovered he would not be successful on his own or even if he enlisted the help of others. We need to learn that lesson as well The Lord can give you much more than that. The Lord offers us so much more than the world can. In fact He offers us "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine".

Eph 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Devotion: Forgiving Ourselves
 

Forgiving Ourselves


If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The murderer was condemned to life in prison. Then one day something amazing happened. The guard came and opened the jail cell. "You are free to go. Someone else is taking your place," said the guard. "How can this be? I am still guilty!" said the prisoner. "Your debt has been paid. You are free to leave," said the guard once more. The prisoner decided not to leave. "I cannot allow another to pay my debt," said the prisoner. Because of his pride he chose to remain in bondage.

Imagine the guilt Peter must have felt when he denied the Son of God three times by saying he never knew him. Imagine what he must have felt the moment he reunited with Him after the resurrection.

The hardest person to forgive sometimes is ourselves. It is especially hard for high achievers to forgive themselves. We think we are above such failure. However, the Bible says we all sin and it is impossible to remedy that sin by ourselves.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives?" (1 John 1:8, 10). The question is not whether we will sin; the question is what we will do when we do sin.

There is only one thing for us to do. Go to the cross. Jesus paid for that sin by dying on the cross. Picture yourself writing your sin on a white piece of paper, then pinning it to the cross. Now, leave it there. The cross is for sinners. When Jesus looks at you, He no longer sees your sin. He cannot see the sin because He can only see the cross.

When you come to Jesus with your sin, there is nothing more you can do besides confessing and renouncing your sin. Sometimes it may require restitution with others. However, once you confess your sin and ask forgiveness, it is no longer on the ledger of debts.

Why not choose to walk free. The cell has been opened.

Devotion: Paul's Personal Mission Statement
 

Paul's Personal Mission Statement


I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 - Acts 21:11-12

Paul understood his personal mission, which should be the personal mission of every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the one summary statement that best describes the purpose of our existence on earth and the goal of our Christian experience. It can be reduced to three important characteristics.

To know Christ.

To know and experience His power.

To identify with His sufferings.

All that flows from these three objectives becomes a by-product. Salvation is a by-product. Miracles are a by-product. Christ likeness is a by-product. Paul's focus was on relationship. He understood that the deeper the relationship, the more power he would experience. He also understood that as he grew in this relationship, there would be suffering. Whenever the Kingdom of Light confronts the kingdom of darkness, there is a battle, and this often results in casualties. Christ confronted these earthly kingdoms and suffered for it. If we are living at this level of obedience, we, too, will face similar battles; it simply comes with the territory.

Does this sound like your personal mission statement? Is your focus in life centered on knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection? If not, press into Him today in order to begin experiencing Christ more intimately.

City Transformation Begins in Two Places

"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there" (Acts 17:16-18).

In order to transform a city or nation, it must take place in two areas; the marketplace and the local church. Paul was burdened for Athens when he saw all of the idols in his city. So, he began a strategy to win back his city by preaching in both the synagogue to the religious leaders and Jews and also in the marketplace every day.

The Old Testament records reveal that even at the time of the temple construction it was clear that foundations must be built through the marketplace and the synagogue. "He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz" (Chronicles 3:15-17). Jakin was a priest of the Lord that represented the spiritual foundation of the Church. Boaz represented the strength of the marketplace and its role to have impact on the society through workplace ministers, or kings.

God is moving today in cities across the world through collaborative coalitions made up of priests, kings and intercessors. This is a city transformation trinity that the Holy Spirit is forming to rid our cities of idols and to restore the spiritual foundations.

When we begin to equip and release those in the workplace to fulfill their godly roles in business, government, media, arts/entertainment, and education we will begin to see the idols in our cities removed. Pray that God raises up Godly workplace leaders who will lead with a biblical worldview.

Devotion: Spiritual Boot Camp
 

Spiritual Boot Camp

ÔÇ£Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saintsÔÇØ (Jude 3).
Jude was the brother of James and half-brother of Jesus. In his short letter of only 25 verses, he spoke directly to believers about the apostasy and false teaching developing at that time.

Now, 2000 years later, we still have the same problems. The key for Christians is to ÔÇ£contend for the faithÔÇØ as Jude encouraged New Testament believers to do. God directs our lives, but we still have stresses and strains. To learn how to ÔÇ£contend for the faithÔÇØ and conquer our difficulties, we need to immerse ourselves in the truths of GodÔÇÖs Word.

The apostle Paul prayed that God would strengthen believers ÔÇ£with power through His SpiritÔÇØ in their inner being,ÔÇØ and that they would be ÔÇ£rooted and established in loveÔÇØ (Ephesians 3:16-17).

IÔÇÖve discovered that being witnesses requires a commitment to continual preparedness. ThatÔÇÖs what Jude was warning Christians about, then and nowÔÇödonÔÇÖt get caught off guard! God calls us to battle readiness that comes from the daily commitment to our spiritual boot camp. The church must be constantly vigilant in order to stay strong in the faith and defend itself against false ideas about God and His Word.

Devotion: Lydia, a Workplace Minister
 

Lydia, a Workplace Minister

"One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God" (Acts 16:14).

There was a business woman whom Paul encountered in Philippi named Lydia. She was an early church entrepreneur dealing in purple cloth, the most expensive type in the 1st century Middle East. Most accounts believe this was Paul's first known convert. I find it interesting that his first known convert was a woman and an entrepreneur.

"We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home" (Acts 16:13-15a).

This encounter with Lydia and her women associates ultimately opened the way for ministry in that region. God often worked in and through women in the early church. Lydia was an influential businesswoman, and the gospel was affecting all strata of society, just as it does today.

Lydia was a maker of beautiful cloth mainly used by members of the royal families and Roman senators who were required to have a purple band around the edge of their togas, or robes. Purple cloth was both valuable and expensive in the culture of the first century. It was often worn as a sign of nobility or royalty. Lydia's ministry would be to the upper class business community.

Evidence of her conversion was immediate. She told the men if they considered her a believer in the Lord, she would like for them to come and stay at her house. Evidently she had plenty of room to accommodate the four of them; Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke was with them also. She continued to urge them and they accepted her invitation and stayed at her house.

Lydia's heart was like the good soil in the parable of the sower. When she heard the word of God, she received it with joy and obeyed the words of the apostle.

Who is the "Lydia" God has placed in your circle of influence? Pray that you will be the instrument, like Paul, to bring the gospel to influential women entrepreneurs.

Devotion: Stirred Up For Jesus
 

Stirred Up For Jesus


2 Peter 1:13 (KJV) "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;"

Hey, I think it is about time that God's people get STIRRED UP for Jesus!

Peter wanted to stir up the Christians of his day by reminding them of the blessing of Salvation. In the days of Paul, in Romans 13: 11, Paul said it was "High Time to awaken out of sleep." Paul was telling the Christians of his day that it was time to get "Stirred up about Jesus!" Today, more than any other day, Christians are living as though they have nothing to be thankful for. Christians have fallen asleep to the things of God and are living it up in the things of the World!

HEY CHRISTIANS, it is time we get STIRRED UP about the great things of God and the eternal glory that is awaiting us!

Devotion: Avoiding Self-Based Faith
 

Avoiding Self-Based Faith


"We live by faith, not by sight." - 2 Corinthians 5:7

Over the years I have run into many businessmen who make the statement, "Whenever I get things in order in my business, I want to get more involved in ministry." What are these men really saying? They are saying that as soon as they can get the amount of money that creates security, they will trust God. They are saying that what they have been doing to date has not been ministry. This separation of "work and faith" is common among our culture. We fail to understand that life is sacred to God and there is nothing "holy" and nothing "sacred" in itself.

I would love to hear one workplace believer say, "I have spent my life in this business. The Lord has blessed me with great resources. But now God has told me to give away my wealth and to trust Him to provide for me through new ways." Wouldn't that be a novel concept? That is exactly what C.T. Studd, the great cricket player in the 1800s, did. He was reared in a wealthy home, but his deep conversion experience led him to take actions that forced him to trust God in ways he never had to before. He became one of the great missionaries of all time.

Whenever we seek to plan ways of ministry that depend on our ability to manipulate and plan outcome, this is not faith. The ministry that comes from this will be minuscule. Faith that bears fruit is faith that is born from experience with a living God. It is faith that says, "I don't know where the next check is coming from. All I know is that God told me to do this and trust Him for the next step." That is faith that moves mountains and moves God's heart. God rarely allows His servant to see beyond the next faith step. However, those who are willing to take the first step and leave the outcome to Him see His works.

"Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord..." (Psalm 107:23-24).

Devotion: Square Peg in a Round Hole
 

Square Peg in a Round Hole


"Indeed, God has put the body together in such a way that he gives greater dignity to the parts that lack it, so that there will be no disagreements within the body, but rather all the parts will be equally concerned for all the others" (1 Corinthian 12:24-26).
"I feel like I've been attempting to fit a thousand pegs into the relationship hole but not one satisfies you with the words you are looking for me to say." Those were the words I said to my wife in complete frustration.

We were at an impasse in our relationship for days--yes, days! No matter what I said or how I said it didn't seem to matter. She was viewing the situation through her grid; I was viewing it through mine. It was like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole that simply wouldn't work no matter how hard I tried.

Then I said these words: "I'm sorry I could not see your perspective and implied that you had a hurtful motive behind your actions. I know you've never done that in the past." Bingo! Something happened! This peg actually fit! She jumped out of her chair and rushed over to kiss me! Our relationship took a 180?? turn in six seconds! "How did that happen!?" I pondered what just took place, feeling totally perplexed, but relieved over the fact a resolution came forth.

I realized later I was viewing the situation through my left brain only, where logic and reasoning is processed, as most of us men tend to do. She desired an emotional heart connection with me. She wanted me to identify and attempt to view the situation through her lenses and an emotional grid. Once I was able to do this her heart was reopened to me and to our relationship.


Men and women often view situations from two differing vantage points. Men view things from facts. Women view them from its impact on their heart and the relationship. Next time you find yourself at an impasse with your spouse, consider these factors.

Unlike me, you might reduce your game time of "peg and hole".

Devotion: Serious About Faith
 

Serious About Faith

ÔÇ£Stephen . . . did great wonders and miraculous signs. . . . Opposition arose, however . . . but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spokeÔÇØ (Acts 6:8-10).
There are times in lifeÔÇÖs spiritual battle when the heat is turned up and the opposition becomes more aggressive. When that happened to Stephen, he proved that he was willing to give his life for his Savior. We meet Stephen in the book of Acts along with others who are given the task of managing fairly the distribution of food among Christians in Jerusalem. He was not only a servant, but also a powerful speaker ÔÇ£full of GodÔÇÖs grace and power.ÔÇØ While speaking he was harassed, but he calmly, logically devastated the arguments against him. He was hauled before a tribunal that eventually condemned him to death.

Here was a man serious about his faith. As his persecutors were throwing stones at him to kill him, Stephen was asking God for forgive them. His life and death demonstrates that the most important prerequisite for Christian service is to be filled with faith and the power of GodÔÇÖs Holy Spirit who gives strength and courage, even in the hardest moments of our lives.
We dare not ignore GodÔÇÖs command to make the Gospel of Jesus available to all of mankind. The world has no other hope

Devotion: Secret Places
 

Secret Places


I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name (Isaiah 45:3).

When God takes you to a depth of soul experience be alert to new truths and new perspectives. During these times God often leads us to amazing new discoveries. It can be a storehouse of unexpected riches for the soul.

Bible teacher F. B. Meyer once observed, "Whenever you get into a prison of circumstances, be on watch. Prisons are rare places for seeing things. It was in prison that Bunyan saw his wondrous allegory and Paul met the Lord and John looked through heaven's open door and Joseph saw God's mercy. God has no chance to show His mercy to some of us except when we are in some distressing sorrow. The night is the time to see the stars."

I began sending out the devotions in the middle of a seven year period of darkness. Today, the devotionals are read daily by many of people around the world. God has revealed to me secret things that I know have benefited countless others. If I had not gone through that dark time, I wouldn't be who I am today.

We must live each day to the fullest. We can't live in the past or in the future. We must live in the moment that God gives us right now. Our time of deliverance will come according to God's schedule. Meanwhile, we need to be faithful in doing what God has given us to do and be content in the place where He has placed us.

When we go through a trial of adversity, we need to understand that God is performing radical surgery on our life. The purpose of this surgery is not to destroy us, but to give us a new heart. God is making a fundamental change in whom we are and who we will be.

And, He will always reveal treasures from these secret places if we are willing to walk through the process patiently.

Devotion: I'm not ready!
 

I'm not ready!


"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

If there is one thing that is consistent throughout scripture, it is this: God calls people when they are not ready. God will never call you into service when you think you are ready. This is intentional on God's part.

And, you can be sure when God calls you, you will have similar responses as Saul did when he was called to be the first king, or Gideon, when he was called to take down the idols in his nation, or Moses, when he was called to deliver his people from Egypt.

Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" (1 Samuel 9:21).

"But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family" (Judges 6:15).

But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11).

When God calls, you will most likely be in the most unlikely circumstances to receive that call. You will be in the midst of a crisis, you will lack resources, and you will not have the skills you think you need. This too is the way of God.

God does this because He wants you to know your call is only based on His ability, not yours. When you think it is based on you, this is a false humility. And, it is unbelief and disobedience on your part.

Has God called you to something you have failed to do because you felt you were not ready? Repent before the Lord and let God accomplish great things through you

Devotion: Praying the Promises
 

I have heard a LOT of excellent preachers say this...when you are down & out, and just about crushed, pull out the Bible, and start reading Scripture back to God and substituting your name in the verses.

the Bible says God's word will not come back empty (void):

Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.


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Praying the Promises

ÔÇ£His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in world because of sinful desire.ÔÇØ 2 Peter 1.4-5

The Scriptures are full of incredible promises from the Father. One author has suggested that there are 30,000 promises in Scripture that are addressed to "whomever", not counting those that are addressed to specific people and specific circumstances. These promises speak to an intimate relationship with God. He has given us the promises because He wants to have a close and intimate relationship with us. He expects us to claim the promises and to live accordingly.

The essence of claiming the promises believes them to be true. Faith believes what God says about what we do not know (Hebrews 11.1). Trusting God for His promises starts by believing them to be true. And recall that our actions demonstrate our beliefs, while our words demonstrate our knowledge. Therefore, as we claim a promise in our prayers to God, and act in the confidence that He will respond to that request, we are demonstrating faith. And "without faith it is impossible to please God" Hebrews 11.6.

And note that through the promises we can become partakers of His divine nature! God has established a path to a more intimate relationship with Him through His promises. To share in His divine nature by believing His promises to be true and claiming them is wonderful and amazing!

So our response to this gift is to memorize some key promises. Each morning, in our prayer time, we should thank God for His promises in general, and recite to Him some specific promises that we are grateful for. As we recite these promises, we might put them in the first person: "if I lack wisdom, I am to ask God who gives without reproach, and it will be given to meÔÇØ (James 1.5). Then we should use those promises in our prayer requests. We should specifically claim those promises for every issue that faces us. And we must not forget to praise God for the answers, to praise Him for His fulfillment of His promises.

Devotion: The Work of God
 

The Work of God


May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us -- yes, establish the work of our hands (Psalms 90:17).

Martin Luther brought the word of God back to the people. Today, God is bringing the work of God back to the people. God never intended the clergy to be the primary distribution channel of His Gospel. You and I am the distribution channel - those of us in the workplace.

The local church is simply the franchise to equip and release His army into the world to affect every aspect of society. Today, God is establishing mini-franchises in the form of prayer groups and Bible studies in the workplace. He is igniting the silent remnant of workplace believers who have never realized, until now, that their work really is their ministry. It is a holy calling on par with vocational ministry.

Our local franchises (churches) should be viewed as mini battle ships designed to raise an army of qualified warriors who can pray, create, and influence their workplaces and industries with a biblical worldview. We must be reminded of God's perfect plan found in Ephesians 4:11-13.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

The next time you are tempted to pass ministry responsibility to your pastor, remember what Ephesians 4 says. After all, there are no part-time Christians in His Kingdom. We may get our checks in secular fields, but our ministry is full-time.

Devotion: Pleasing to the Lord
 

Pleasing to the Lord


"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.

Devotion: Friends
 

Friends

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."
Why do some folks not have friends? I saw this question recently on the internet and it caused me to stop and seek an answer to the question, WHY? I think the Bible answers this question completely, on how to have friends. The Bible teaches that if one is to have a friend, they must FIRST be friendly. Many wait on the other person to first be friendly, and then they return the favor, but is that being friendly at all. If you are always waiting on someone else to be friendly to you before you acknowledge them, or make them your friend that is not being friendly at all and you'll not make very many friends that way. Another way to not have friends is being too judgmental of others. If a person has ONE WAY VISION, meaning they can only see all the problems of others, but can't see their own problems. This also means, they are quick to point out the problems of other people, but neglect their own problems that are CLEARLY seen by others, but not by themselves. I think one of the best way to make friends is to do this, leave the PREACHING, the Reproach, the Rebuking to God and the Preachers.


Folks need to STOP pointing out other friend problems. Here is a great way to start your new day of making friends! Get you a mirror and turn it toward yourself, position it to where YOU CAN SEE YOU and your faults ONLY. This will cause your FRIENDS fault not to catch your vision or divert your attention from your way of living for God. You will then see YOU as YOU really are and see your friends as your friends. Having a friend starts off with not looking and reporting to them their faults; it starts with looking at your friends needs and doing something to take care of those needs!

RE: Devotion: Move On
 

Move On!

..."Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on." - Exodus 14:15

Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert. The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh's pursuing army was the Red Sea. This was after ten plagues God had inflicted on Pharaoh to motivate him to free the Israelites. Finally, Pharaoh had freed Moses and the people, and they left Egypt. They thought they were home free. "Freedom at last," they said. But God did a strange thing. He directed Moses to take a route that led to the Red Sea, instead of the northern route around the Red Sea. God explained that He didn't want them fighting the enemies they would have encountered on this route. But still, there was the issue of the Red Sea.

They finally arrived at the Red Sea, and the people were wondering where they would go from there. News hit the camp: Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was coming after them with his army. Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Exodus 14:11b-12)

God sometimes brings each of us to a "Red Sea" in our life. It may be a work problem that can't be solved. It may be a marriage that seems to be failing. It may be a debilitating disease. Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: "Keep moving." The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to "Keep moving."

"But Lord, the Red Sea is before me." "Keep moving." When we live by sight, we act on what we see. God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here. That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.

A friend once admonished me when I was in the midst of an extremely difficult time in my life, "You must not withdraw from being proactive in your faith just because of this trial that you are in. God's hand is on your life. There are too many who are depending on you to fulfill the purposes God has in your life. Keep moving! Keep investing yourself in others." I didn't feel like it. I was in too much pain. But I did it anyway. God met me at the point of my greatest need once I decided simply to be obedient. Getting past myself by investing myself in others helped heal the pain. There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ. This is when our own Red Seas become parted. We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don't first "Keep moving

Devotion: Sowing in Tears
 

Sowing in Tears


"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." - Psalm 126:5

The most difficult place to keep moving in faith is the place of extreme pain. Extreme pain, especially emotional pain, can become immobilizing to the human spirit if it is allowed to overcome us. The psalmist tells us there is only one remedy for overcoming painful circumstances that will result in joy. We are to sow in the midst of these times. You cannot do this if you live by feelings alone. It is an act of the will. This act requires that we go outside ourselves in pure faith.

I learned this principle during one of the deepest periods of my life. I had lost much that was dear to me. A mature man in the faith admonished me to reach out to others in spite of my own pain. "Invest in someone else," he said. I did not realize what a place of healing and comfort that would become.

"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:6). Pain can become a source of joy if we take the first step by planting seed. There is a harvest that will come if we sow in the midst of tears.