Devotion: Betrayals
 

Betrayals

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend. - Psalm 55:12-13

"You will always be attacked in the place of your inheritance," said the man sitting across the breakfast table. "God has called you to bring people together and to impact other people's lives as a result of this anointing in your life. You must make sure that you seek to maintain righteousness in all of your relationships." Those words came from someone who had the wisdom and authority to speak them to me.

I have had a number of close relationships that ended in betrayal. I am very loyal to my friends and those with whom I have covenant relationships. Yet there are times that no matter how righteous you are, when someone means to betray you, he will do it. Loving those who betray you is "graduate-level Christianity." The religious community and one of His closest friends betrayed Jesus. Those who were closest to David betrayed him. Joseph's own family betrayed him. Loving our enemies cannot be accomplished by mustering it up. It can only happen when we have come to a death in ourselves so that Christ can love through us. It is truly one of those acts of identifying with the cross.

If you are a leader, you can be sure God will allow you to experience betrayal. It is one of those courses in the Kingdom that may not be required until God has seen that you have successfully passed other tests. It is the most difficult and most gut wrenching of all tests. A godly response goes against all that is in us.

Our natural response is to protect, retaliate, and retain unforgiveness and bitterness. Our natural response is satan's most powerful weapon; to overcome it requires much grace from God. Ask God to build His nature in you now so that when such attacks come, you will be aware that it is a test and you will respond in righteousness.

Devotion: Faith Proved Genuine
 

Faith Proved Genuine


"Even one of their own prophets has said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth" (Titus 1:12-15).
In December 1983, The Princeton Religion Research Center published a landmark survey conducted for The Wall Street Journal by the Gallup Organization. The researchers measured a wide range of moral and ethical behaviors, such as calling in sick when not sick, cheating on income tax, and pilfering company supplies for personal use. The results were disappointing, to say the least.
But what the researchers found most startling was that there was no significant difference between the churched and the unchurched in their ethics and values on the job. In other words, despite the fact that more and more people were attending churches, churches seemed to be having less and less of an impact on the moral fiber of their people, at least in the workplace.
To quote the researchers: "These findings will come as a shock to the religious leaders and underscore the need for religious leaders to channel the new religious interest in America not simply into religious involvement but in deep spiritual commitment."

"Either these are not the gospels, or we're not Christians," said Thomas Linacre, Henry VIII's doctor and Renaissance thinker, after given the four gospels in Greek. Linacre recognized a great disparity between those who proclaimed Christ and how they lived their lives.

If our faith life is not validated through our behavior then one must question if we even have a genuine relationship with Christ. The apostle Paul didn't like what he saw in the believers on the island of Crete. They proclaimed Christ with their mouth, but their behavior looked no different than those who did not claim Christ.

Pray that your faith is "proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:7-8).

Devotion: I Cannot Believe You Think That
 

I Cannot Believe You Think That


"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom" (James 3:13-14).

"I can't believe you think I said that," he complained to his wife. "I was simply trying to explain that I don't have the same feelings about that issue as you do." Her response left little empathy for his position because of the tone in which he responded to her. We resigned ourselves to agree to disagree.

We all see things through our own set of glasses at times. Men view things differently than women. Bosses see things differently than employees. One ethic group will see a situation totally different than another. Our life experiences, our past treatment of circumstances and our personalities all contribute to how we view situations in daily life.

Perception is often each person's reality whether that reality is true or not. Your perception of a situation is going to dictate your response more than the actual reality of it.

Whenever conflict arises from viewing things differently there is really only one way to resolve the difference. Usually the other person is offended by the tone of the other more than the position that is taken. If the other person is offended, we can only offer a few words: "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me for my tone?"

Humbling ourselves is the only way to resolve the relational breach. This does not mean you must agree with the other person's position, it simply means you acknowledge their right to their position and you apologize for the manner in which you responded to their statements. This will usually allow most conflicts to avoid a breach in the relationship.

Is there someone you need to seek forgiveness from for taking an adversarial position?

Devotion: Power
 

Power
By Bill Money

"...for nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

This is a challenging verse.

Do you and I believe it to be true? Do we act like we believe it to be true? We are dealing with God's character here. He has made it clear that nothing is impossible for Him.

Jesus said: "Everything is possible for the one who believes". Mark 9:23

This verse describes God working in ways that are beyond human comprehension in and for someone who believes in Him. If nothing is truly impossible with God, then everything is possible for the one who believes in Him, who believes His word to be true, and believes that He rewards those who seek Him.

This is not because of the personÔÇÖs belief, but because of God choosing to exercise unlimited power in and through the life of the person who believes in Him.

What makes GodÔÇÖs promises significant is that the One making the promises has the ability to carry them out. That is the foundation of the promises.

The promises are only as good as the One making the promises, and that is the center point of faith. Do we believe with an assurance of things hoped for and a conviction of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1) that nothing is impossible with God?

Do we believe that so strongly that we are willing to take action accordingly and take risks because of that belief? That is the essence of faith, and "without faith it is impossible to please God".

The Lord sums up this issue of power in His word to Zerubbabel: ÔÇ£not by might nor by power but by my Spirit" says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6).

The purpose of the promises is not to get what we want, but to experience God working through us and exhibiting His unlimited power through us, so the world might know Him. He has given us an impossible assignment to accomplish, an assignment that is far beyond our ability to do.

Impossible assignments require unlimited power that only God possesses, but He has promised to provide that power to us if we will trust Him and believe those promises to be true.

good read on young women being killed for their beliefs, makes it seem kinda like we are weak sissies.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl.../perpetua.html


Perpetua and Felicitas

One of the most amazing documents historians of early Christianity are privileged to have the
prison diary of a young woman who was martyred in either 202 or 203 in Carthage, as part of a
civic celebration. Her name is Vibia Perpetua. The Christian community in Carthage was
probably at this time around 2,000 in a city of half a million.

Perpetua had been arrested, along with the slaves Felicitas and Revocatus, and Saturninus and Secundulus. Soon one Saturus, who deliberately declared himself a Christian before the judge, was also incarcerated.

The account of her martyrdom reveals one of the characteristics of Latin-speaking North African
Christianity: its profound respect for the martyr. After Cyprian, Perpetua became the most
venerated martyr in the North African Church. Augustine preached three sermons on her
martyrdom

Devotion: Being Useful for the Kingdom
 

Being Useful for the Kingdom
By Bill Moeny

ÔÇØFor our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.ÔÇØ Ephesians 6:12

You and I deeply desire for God to use us to further His kingdom here on earth. One of the major joys of running a company for Christ is experiencing God working through us to accomplish things we never could do and to impacting the lives of other people through the business. It is exciting to see Him work so powerfully in and through us.

Have you ever been on the threshold of something significant with your business or life, where you sensed God was about to act in a mighty way?

Have you sensed He wanted to impact many people through what He is doing with His business entrusted to your stewardship? Did you see things getting very difficult?

Did you recognize the adversaryÔÇÖs voice whispering lies in your ears? Lies against the work God was doing? Did you experience people coming against you when they should have been supporting you? Did you observe things ÔÇÿgoing wrongÔÇÖ in this time?

As Ephesians 6 states, we do not battle against people, but against principalities and powers and spiritual forces in high places. And the spiritual forces do not want your company to succeed. They do not want to see you become influential for God's Kingdom. They do not want you to be impacting other lives through the business. So, they come against you.

We think the people are misbehaving, that they are not doing what they committed to do. They break their promises. That is the adversary trying to derail the project or agreement. And we have to fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons.

We have to pray for protection for our family and for the business, for customers and those with which we are trying to reach an agreement (John 17:12.) We have to claim JesusÔÇÖ authority over the spiritual powers that He so clearly expressed in Matthew 28:18:

"All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me."

We have to pray against these unclean spirits and their schemes to destroy us and the business entrusted to us.

We need to state and restate the basics of our salvation (ÔÇ£putting on the helmet of salvationÔÇØ) and we need to trust that Jesus is able to take care of every issue facing us.

We need to repeat the promises that He has made back to Him verbally when we sense we are being attacked. We need to cling to what we know to be true (ÔÇ£putting up the shield of faithÔÇØ) and dismiss the lies of the adversary.

This takes time, focused intentional time in prayer, to combat the lies and deceptions and attacks of the evil one.

It takes time studying the Scriptures so we know what is true and can recognize and dismiss the lies of the adversary. Without this protection, we become easy prey for the adversary, and he will wreak havoc in the business.

this is a repeat, but most of us don't understand no matter what..
 

Devotion: Understanding the Source of Anger


Understanding the Source of Anger


"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." - Proverbs 29:11


The workplace can be a pressure-packed world. The demands that are often put on us can bring out things that we never knew were there. Sometimes we begin to think that the source of that pressure is to blame for our response to the pressure. It could be an event, a spouse, a boss, a client, a child, or even a driver who cuts us off in traffic.

I recall responding to a close friend one time, "If you had not done that, I would never have responded that way." Later I learned that this response had little truth to it. We all choose to get angry. No one else is to blame for our anger.

"The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am" [Dr. Sam Peeples].
This simple quote has had a profound impact on how I view my anger now.

Anger only reveals what is inside of me. I can't blame anyone but me for my response to a situation. I have learned that anger is only the symptom of something else that is going on inside of me. This quote now resides on my refrigerator door as a daily reminder of the truth about my response to life's situations.

It has been said that anger is like the warning panel on the dash of your car. It is the light that tells us something is going on under the hood and we need to find out what is the source of the problem. I discovered that the source of anger is often unmet expectations or personal rights. We believe we are entitled to a particular outcome to a situation. When this doesn't happen, it triggers something in us. At the core of this is fear, often a fear of failure or rejection, fear of what others think, fear of the unknown.

If you struggle with anger, ask God to reveal the source of that anger. Ask Him to heal you of any fears that may be the root of your anger. Ask God to help you take responsibility for your response to difficult situations.

Devotion: Living for a Cause Greater Than Yourself
 

Living for a Cause Greater Than Yourself


"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13
In the thirteenth century a man named William Wallace became the instrument of freedom from England's tyranny over Scotland. A very wicked king ruled England. A tragedy in the life of William Wallace launched him into living for this cause. Initially his cause was revenge, but soon his cause turned to something bigger than himself - freedom for a nation. When he challenged the commoners to fight for this freedom, they responded that the enemy was too great and that they might die on the battlefield. They also refused to fight for the nobles, the knights and leaders who had a vested interest in gaining more land for themselves versus a pure cause of freedom. Wallace's response: "Yes, we might die. We will all die sooner or later.

But we will die for a cause worth dying for. So that our children and their children might live in freedom." This story was popularized in the movie Brave Heart.

Today we find many Christian workplace believers living a status quo relationship with God that is more characterized as "business as usual" than a life demonstrating God's power. Our focus is often more concerned with improving our standard of living than improving the Kingdom of God through our circle of influence. While this takes place, millions upon millions die without the saving grace of Christ. Many other Christians die never experiencing the freedom in Christ that His blood paid for.

God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves - a life that is dependent on His grace and power to achieve things we never thought possible through our lives. This is His plan for your life. The apostle Paul prayed that He might experience the power of the resurrection in his life. This power is available to you and me to live for a cause greater than ourselves. Ask God what He wants to achieve through your life today. And consider yourself dead already to the consequences of what that might mean for you.

Devotion: God Is Not About YOUR Success
 

God Is Not About YOUR Success


"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:24-26).

God is all about your death so that HIS success can be realized through you! This is why the Church is having such little impact - there are too many believers who have not yet died to their old nature so that Christ can live fully through them. When believers come to the end of themselves they will lose their lives to Him and live through the power of the Holy Spirit and begin to see the reality of a living gospel that impacts lives, workplaces, cities and nations.

"Much of modern Christian enterprise is 'Ishmael.' Born not of God, but of an inordinate desire to do God's will in our own way - the one thing our Lord never did," said Oswald Chambers. The psalmist describes what it means to live in our own strength: "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those He loves" (Psalms 127:1-2).

How does one die so that Christ can be our all and all? It usually takes a crisis of significant proportions for most people to relinquish the control of their lives. It means we come to the end of ourselves and our striving to control the events in our lives and we finally come to the place where we can say, "Lord, I surrender. Please take full control of my life."

Have you come to this place with God in your life? Let go and let God make you a success His way.

Devotion: Knowing the Risk and Reward
 

Knowing the Risk and Reward


"David asked the men standing near him, 'What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?'" (1 Samuel 17:26).

Every entrepreneur must determine the risk and reward before entering a venture. This is not the only consideration. We must determine if God is leading us after we consider all factors. We also must consider if the timing is right to proceed.

David was a young shepherd when he was bringing food to his older brothers in the army. He had already killed a lion and a bear during his days as a shepherd. David understood the risk/reward principle. When he heard about Goliath and that no one was willing to fight him he was angry.

However, he didn't just respond out of pure emotion. He asked a very important question. "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?" He got the answer he was hoping for: "The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel." (1 Samuel 17:25).


Do you see the reward? He gets financial wealth, a wife, and no longer has to pay taxes! What more motivation does a young Jewish boy need? Does this take away from the spiritual significance of the story? Absolutely not.

The religious spirit always tries to make the business side of faith evil. Money and profit is not evil. It is the love of money and the pride of life that gets man into trouble. David understood the proper balance of these co-existing to accomplish God's purposes. To avoid getting into trouble simply ask this question of yourself: "What is the true motive of my heart?" If it does not have the spiritual element balanced with the business element, you may be in trouble.

Ask God four questions before you proceed in any venture:
1) Is the Holy Spirit leading me?
2) Is this the time to be involved?
3) Is the risk and reward worth it?
4) Do I have what is necessary to be successful in the venture with God's help?
After you've asked these questions go about your task with all your heart.

Devotion: When Others Disappoint You
 

When Others Disappoint You


"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica" (2 Timothy 4:9-10).

Adversity molded the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and disappointment took its toll on this rugged warrior. We can sense Paul's hurt and discouragement near the end of his second letter to Timothy:

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica... At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me... Do your best to get here before winter (2 Timothy 4:9-11, 14, 16, and 21).

Do you hear the pain in those words? Twice he urges Timothy to come to him. Do you feel his anguish when he twice speaks of being deserted by his friends?

In most of his letters, Paul seems to have an invincible spirit. Yet he was a man who suffered, felt betrayed, and was at times very lonely. However, Paul chose to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That's why he could write:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such a way that the life of Jesus would be revealed in his response to adversity.

Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.

Devotion: Using Your Resources
 

Using Your Resources
By Bill Money


Joseph of Arimathea was a businessman who is listed in all four Gospels. He is described as a rich man and a disciple of Christ (Matthew 27:57-61), a prominent member of the Sanhedrin* (Mark 15:43), a good and righteous man (Luke 23:50), and a secret disciple of Christ (John 19:38).

It must have taken courage for him to remain a prominent member of the Sanhedrin while a disciple of Christ.

After the death of Jesus, Joseph went to Pilate to ask for JesusÔÇÖ body. This took a lot of courage and had risk associated with it. Pilate was known to arbitrarily kill people. And, by Joseph asking for the body of Jesus, it was no longer a secret that he was a disciple of Christ. He and Nicodemus wrapped the body in linen cloths with aromatic spices and placed Jesus in his new tomb in the garden, which he had cut into the rock. (John 19:38-42 and Matthew 27:57-60).

It is interesting that this contribution by a businessman to the burial of Christ was of such significance to God that the Holy Spirit instructed all four Gospel writers to record it, and to specifically mention the businessman who did it by name. We are not told of any sermons he preached, or books he wrote. We are told of how he used the resources that he had as a businessman for the purposes of the Kingdom. And the way he used those resources was of such significance to the Gospel story that it was recorded in all four Gospels.

What has God placed in your hands that He wants to use for the Kingdom? He has given you those resources for a purpose. And He may need you to use them in a way you had not expected. Joseph did not anticipate the crucifixion, but responded to the need of the hour with the resources he had.

God may ask you to use your resources to meet an unanticipated need in an area you do not expect. He has the right to do that. When He bought you at the cross, He also bought your business and all your resources. And the use of those resources may require courage in the face of significant risk, as it did for Joseph.

This requires prayer - lingering at the feet of Jesus on a daily basis so that He can direct how you are to use the resources He has provided to you for His Kingdom purposes.

This requires holding the resources with an open hand, so the owner (Christ) can direct you (the steward) on how to use His resources that He has entrusted to you.

So ask Him: "How would you have me use the resources you have entrusted to me?" Then obey, just as Joseph did, and see what God might do through you for eternity.

*The ancient Jewish court system was called the Sanhedrin.

Devotion: Recalibrate Route
 

Recalibrate Route


"The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth" (Luke 3:5).

I love the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in the new cars. A voice comes on and tells me how far I have to go and when to turn. However, sometimes I get off course and the voice says: "Recalculating route." The GPS is telling me I have gone off course and it is now recalculating the route based on my wrong turn. Sometimes we can make wrong turns in our spiritual lives. We think we are going the right direction only to discover it was never God's will to enter that relationship, make that business deal, hire that person - the examples are limitless.

There is an amazing thing about God. He can make our crooked places straight. He has an ability to make whatever blunder you make turn out right. It may mean there might be some consequences to those decisions, but He will always allow your actions to work together for good for those called according to His purposes if we repent and seek Him fully to make things right. These lessons can even contribute to greater wisdom in our lives if we learn from our mistakes.

God's omnipotence is always one step ahead of our incompetence. Do you think He knew you would make that misstep? Absolutely. Do you think your life was planned even with that misstep figured in? Absolutely.

Isn't it comforting to know you cannot plan God out of the equation no matter how bad you mess up? He will always turn crooked places into straight places for those who are humble and contrite.

Do you need a crooked place straightened out today? Ask Him to straighten the course so you can flow in His perfect will for your life

God's omnipotence is always one step ahead of our incompetence.


do you guys believe that? seems like my mistakes pile up higher and higher.

seems like things work out in the end, but i seem to make it difficult on my self when I don't pray about things. just rush in & make a mess.

Devotion: To Judge
 

To Judge

Luke 6:37 (KJV) "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

Sins like slander, backbiting, gossip and railing (speaking against) that run rampant within the Churches today. What is slander and where does it come from? The Greek word for Slander is diabolos which according to VineÔÇÖs dictionary means to ÔÇ£accuse falsely.ÔÇØ

Did you know that of the 36 verses where this word is used in the New Testament, 33 of them this word diabolos is translated ÔÇ£devilÔÇØ? This scripture speaks of diabolos as the devil or the slanderer who does not stand in truth but speaks lies.

Slander works on the principle that the more people the slanderer can tell the lie to, the more likely it is to be believed. Now we, the Christians should not concern ourselves with the Slanderers outside the body of Christ because without Jesus in their lives, why would they not act like the devil? It is our lives and the lives of the body of Christ in which we need to examine in order to see if we are doing according to the will of God.

Now this is what slanderers do within the body of Christ; they are ready at any moment to secretly speak and attack others behind their backs. They never have the nerve to speak these words to their faces.

This ÔÇ£character assassinationÔÇØ is always done in secret and is always intended to tear the other person down. Here is what the Word of God says about a Slanderer, "Psalms 11:2 "For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart."

Psalms 101:4-5 "A forward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer." If youÔÇÖre a Christian that is ready to judge everyone, do yourself a favor, LOOK IN THE MIRROR! THERE YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT!

Devotion: Trained for War
 

Trained for War


"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle" (Psalm 144:1)

You'll never experience God in powerful ways by acquiring Bible knowledge alone. It is only when that knowledge is used in the heat of battle that you will know the reality of what you've learned intellectually. Otherwise, it remains only an exercise in spiritual gymnastics that yields little fruit.

David became a great warrior and leader of a nation at an early age. His training ground was his job as a shepherd in the open fields. When bears and lions sought to take his sheep, he personally fought them. This was his early preparation for future battles. Goliath was the real competition amongst a discerning audience to reveal how well his training prepared him.

Today, our local churches often look more like luxury cruise liners designed to tickle the ears, entertain its members and make them feel good instead of a battleship designed to train an army for war. The average member still watches from the sideline.

In sports you discover how well you handle pressure by competing. You can practice all you want but never know how you will do until you enter the game and test what you've learned and practiced when there is pressure added to the equation. In battle you discover how well you are trained by what you actually do on the battlefield.

Have you ever prayed with someone in public? Have you ever personally led someone to Christ? Have you ever served others for the sake of the Gospel? Have you ever taught a Bible study? If you said no to these questions, you are not engaged in the game. Today, why not ask God to give you the grace to step onto the battlefield.

Devotion: Walk as Jesus Did
 

Walk as Jesus Did


"This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did" (1 John 2:6).

I have always found the above verse very intimidating. It says that if we are truly living in Christ, we must walk as Jesus did. How did Jesus walk? He healed the sick. He perceived the needs and situations of others supernaturally. He spoke boldly into the lives of the unsaved. He met the needs of people by leading them to the Kingdom of God. Jesus says we must walk as He did. So, I can only conclude from this verse that if we are each called to live this way, He will also equip us to live this way.

How did Jesus walk? He walked on earth as a human being, not as God, yet He was God. His miracles were done as a human being who tapped into the power of His Heavenly Father. This is why he can exhort us to live like He did not as deity, but as a human being who could appropriate all the Father had for him. This is what He means when He says "live as He lived." We are to exercise obedience and faith just as He did
.
I believe we live in a day that requires more than proclamation evangelism to break through in the workplace. We live and work in a skeptical society. It takes more than reasoning to see those in the workplace come to Christ. The workplace is trained to see past phonies. So, it will require the genuine love and power of Christ to be manifested to break through to a Muslim co-worker, a power-driven executive, or a foul-mouthed customer.

Jesus modeled a way of reaching the lost. He did not use reasoning to convince a person to follow him. He often operated in the supernatural revelation about a need in that person's life. Such was the case of the Samaritan woman. This encounter not only led to a woman placing her faith in the Messiah, but it led to the transformation of a city.

Next time you have an encounter with an unsaved associate, find out about a need they have and ask God how you can meet it through His power.

Devotion: Things I Cannot Understand
 

Things I Cannot Understand


"Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." Job 42:3b
If there was any one man on earth who had reason to question God's love, it was Job. He lost his family, his health, and his wealth - all at the same time. His friends came to his side only to question his spirituality. God had already answered the question of his integrity. Job was described in the opening verses of the book as "blameless and upright" (see Job 1:1).

His calamities were not born from sin. Job acknowledged God's right to do anything in his life until one day he could take it no longer. He questioned God's motives.

God answered Job, but not in the way he wanted to hear. God answered him with a series of questions that represents the most incredible discourse of correction by God to any human being. Three chapters later, Job realized that he had questioned the motives of the Author of the universe, the Author of love.


He fell flat before his Creator and realized his total depravity. "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."
Have you ever questioned God's activity in your life? Have you questioned His love for you based on circumstances that came your way? The cross at Calvary answers the love question.

He sent His own Son in replacement for your sin. If you were the only person on earth, He would have done the same. His ways cannot always be understood or reconciled in our finite minds. That must be left for a future time when all will be understood. For now, entrust your life to Him completely. Embrace Him in the hard times and the good.

Devotion: It's My Money
 

ItÔÇÖs MY Money
By Bill Moeny


"You are not your own. You were bought with a price." 1 Corinthians 6.19-20

Wealth is the hardest test to pass.

If we have monetary resources, then we can very easily fall into the trap of providing for ourselves and not needing God.

The adversary will tell us: "You want it. It is a good thing to have. You have the money and you can afford it. So just buy it!"

But whose money is it? We are taught in 1 Corinthians 6.19-20: "You are not your own. You were bought with a price."

This says that God owns it all. We are stewards of His resources. When He bought us at the cross (with a very expensive price) He also bought all of our assets. Everything we have He has provided for us.

If our position is that of a steward of God's resources, then we don't have any money to spend on something. It all belongs to God, and He has entrusted it to us to manage for Him.

Therefore, if we want to buy something, we have to ask our Owner if He wishes to provide it for us, just like your children have to ask you to provide something for them. There is no way we can provide it for ourselves, since we are bond slaves and all we have is owned by our Master.

This places us in a completely different relationship with God. By making the decision that we will honor His purchase of us at the cross, we place ourselves under His authority and seek for Him to have control over every monetary decision facing us. We do not make a significant purchase without Him directing us to do it. It is His money, after all.

Jesus said "I don't do anything except what I see the Father doing."(John 5.19) This places us in the same position, that of complete dependence upon God. And that is exactly where He wants us, and is the most logical and best position for us to be in.

Devotion: Being an Overcomer
 

Being an Overcomer


"How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" (Psalms 13:1-2).

Have you ever heard someone jokingly say, "It's not easy being me?" This expression is poking fun at their unique personality or challenges they face in life. Well, it wasn't easy being King David
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His life was a life of extreme highs and extreme lows. He was a shepherd, a political leader, a builder, a prophet, a businessman, a warrior, a lover, a giver, a murderer and a worshiper. He must have been criticized by others as being hypocritical in his early career. In each of these roles he achieved things for God but he also failed God on many occasions. He had a creative-type personality, which is often very passionate with many mood swings. We see this side of him when he unabashedly danced before the Lord in front of his subjects almost naked (2 Samuel 6:14).

When David wrote his psalms he was honest about what he was feeling. When he feared his enemies he expressed it. When he cBeing an Overcomer


"How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" (Psalms 13:1-2).

Have you ever heard someone jokingly say, "It's not easy being me?" This expression is poking fun at their unique personality or challenges they face in life. Well, it wasn't easy being King David
.
His life was a life of extreme highs and extreme lows. He was a shepherd, a political leader, a builder, a prophet, a businessman, a warrior, a lover, a giver, a murderer and a worshiper. He must have been criticized by others as being hypocritical in his early career. In each of these roles he achieved things for God but he also failed God on many occasions. He had a creative-type personality, which is often very passionate with many mood swings. We see this side of him when he unabashedly danced before the Lord in front of his subjects almost naked (2 Samuel 6:14).

When David wrote his psalms he was honest about what he was feeling. When he feared his enemies he expressed it. When he could not understand why God was silent, he expressed it as in the psalm above.

However, David never stayed in the place of despair. He often ended his psalms like this one. "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me" (Psalms 13:5-6).

David chooses to focus on what God has done for him, and not on what He had not done. If you are waiting for a breakthrough with God, be honest with Him about your hopes and dreams. However, also affirm your faith and trust in Him to accomplish His purposes through your life. Be an overcomer.
ould not understand why God was silent, he expressed it as in the psalm above.

However, David never stayed in the place of despair. He often ended his psalms like this one. "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me" (Psalms 13:5-6).

David chooses to focus on what God has done for him, and not on what He had not done. If you are waiting for a breakthrough with God, be honest with Him about your hopes and dreams. However, also affirm your faith and trust in Him to accomplish His purposes through your life. Be an overcomer.