Devotion: IsnÔÇÖt This Joseph's Son?
 

IsnÔÇÖt This Joseph's Son?


"All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. 'Isn't this Joseph's son?' they asked" (Luke 4:22).

Jesus was more qualified to be a carpenter than the Son of God in the view of religious leaders and the common people of his day. He was also becoming known as a rabbi who thought and did things "outside the box." He was an unusual mixture of the earthly common man who did daily work just like his other villagers in Nazareth. So, when the public ministry side of his life began to surface, the first observations were, "Isn't this Joseph, the carpenter's son?"

This is not unlike what happens when God calls you or me into a more public ministry. "Isn't that John, the CPA, or Bill the restaurant manager, or Susie the bank executive?" The first question among our critics is "Where did John, Bill, or Susie get religion?"

The religious spirit in the workplace reveals itself in many ways. The religious spirit can best be defined as an agent of satan assigned to prevent change and maintain the status quo by using religious devices. The religious spirit seeks to distort a genuine move of God through deception, control and manipulation. It was the primary force against Jesus designed to intimidate and turn His relationship with God into a set of rules and regulations.

Satan does not want Jesus in the workplace because that is where the authority lies to change a workplace, city or nation. God desires you to bring His presence with you into the workplace every day. Do not let the enemy of your soul shame you into alienating your faith from your work.

Today, ask Jesus to go into the workplace with you. The two of you just might be the team to bring someone out of slavery and bondage.

Devotion: Seeing A Greater Purpose In Adversity
 

Seeing A Greater Purpose In Adversity


But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" - Acts 16:28

Paul and Silas had just been thrown into prison. An earthquake erupted and the jail cell was opened. It's Paul and Silas' opportunity. "Deliverance, Praise God!" might be the appropriate response. But this is not what Paul and Silas did. In fact, rather than leave, they sat quietly in their cell area.

The guard, in fear of his life, knew that it would be automatic death if prisoners escaped. Paul and Silas did not leave because they saw a higher purpose for which they were in prison. They were not looking at their circumstance; they were much more concerned about the unsaved guard. The story goes on to explain how Paul and Silas went home with the guard and his family. Not only did the guard get saved, but his entire household as well.

What a lesson this is for us. How often we are so busy looking for deliverance from our circumstance that we miss God completely. God is looking to do miracles in our circumstances if we will only look for them. Sometimes as workplace believers we become so obsessed with our goals we miss the process that God involves us in, which may be where the miracle lies.

What if that bill collector who has been hounding you is unsaved and he is there for you to speak to? What if a problem account has arisen due to something God is doing beyond what you might see at this time? Our adverse situations can often be the door of spiritual opportunity for those who need it.

I saw this personally when God allowed me to go through a number of adversities. It took some time, but I saw some great miracles as a result of those adversities. When God said that "all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purposes" (see Romans 8:28), He meant all things. It is up to us to find the "work together for good" part by being faithful to the process. In the next adversity you face, tune your spiritual antennae and ask God for discernment to see the real purpose for the adversity.

Devotion: The Power of Serving Others
 

The Power of Serving Others


"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:9-11).

There is a Kingdom principle I find few others really understand. The principle is this: When you focus on serving others, your need is often met through God's supernatural law of serving.

I've seen this happen so many times. The law of sowing and reaping comes into play in this Kingdom principle. "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love" (Hosea 10:12). "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:6-9).

Whenever God calls me to serve another person with my time and resources I notice how God measures resources back to me from unrelated sources. Sometimes it comes through an unexpected blessing or a new opportunity. It is uncanny how this happens consistently when I serve others. We are never to view people or organizations as competition. The Bible says that God has already assigned our portion. We need not have to manipulate outcomes.

"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance" (Psalms 16:5-6).

We don't serve others to get. However, when we do serve others, there is a Kingdom principle that works on your behalf as fruit of your service. Is there someone you need to serve today?

Devotion: Beware of the False Lover
 

Beware of the False Lover


Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
When a measured assault enters our life we often respond in two different ways. The pain caused by the assault drives us to a place of either embracing the pain or we embrace anything that will make us feel better. That becomes the entry door to a false lover. Men and women each seek to avoid pain in different ways. Larry Crabb has summarized these two unique strategies often used to avoid deep pain:

All of us are trapped by addiction to a desire for something less than God. For many women, that something less is relational control. "I will not be hurt again and I will not let people I love be hurt. I'll see to it that what I fear never happens again." They therefore live in terror of vulnerably presenting themselves to anyone and instead become determined managers of people. Their true femininity remains safely tucked away behind the walls of relational control.

More common in men is an addiction to non-relational control. "I will experience deep and consuming satisfaction without ever having to relate meaningfully with anyone." They keep things shallow and safe with family and friends and feel driven to experience a joy they never feel, a joy that only deep relating can provide. Their commitment is twofold: to never risk revealing inadequacy by drawing close to people and, without breaking that commitment, to feel powerful and alive. Power in business and illicit sex are favorite strategies for reaching that goal.1

Many times we seek to deal with our pain through various forms of addictions designed to resolve the inner pain we feel. All addictions represent a counterfeit desire for genuine love and intimacy. We conclude these lesser desires are legitimate needs instead of band-aids of our fleshly soul. These addiction lovers become isolation chambers created for ourselves designed to mask our pain.

Every human being has a desire to be loved. When we do not feel loved because of some event in our lives we seek to reconcile this emotional pain. So, if you are fighting any kind of addiction, over control of people, sex, drugs, alcohol, workaholics, shopping, overeating, you are seeking to fill a void only God can fill.

Pain has a useful purpose in our lives. Facing it, rather than medicating it, allows us to move to a place of discovering a capacity for a different kind of joy.

That is the purpose of pain. We must let inner pain do its work by experiencing it fully. It feels like a contradiction to actually embrace the pain, but it is the only remedy for moving past it so it can yield its purpose in our lives. Otherwise we will remain unaware of our deeper desire for God and be driven toward a false lover.

1 Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams, Waterbrook Press, Colorado Springs, CO 2001, p.95

Devotion: Thankfulness
 

Thankfulness


Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4)

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:57

I turned up the radio a little bit so I could be sure of what I heard. Magic Johnson, at the very height of his career with the Los Angles Lakers team, had retired due to the AIDS virus. A man that had ÔÇ£everythingÔÇØ ÔÇô awards, money, championships, and the satisfaction of being the best at what he did, influence, a new wife, and a child on the way ÔÇô will probably die of a currently ÔÇ£incurableÔÇØ disease. Not only the basketball fans, but an entire nation was shocked. The AIDS disease suddenly was closer to everyone.

Many years ago ten men were walking down the road. They each had an incurable disease. All ten men were instantly healed yet only one of the ten returned to say -ÔÇ£thank youÔÇØ You say, ÔÇ£I canÔÇÖt believe that.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£If I got AIDS, then someone gave me a miracle drug to permanently cure me, I would be forever grateful.ÔÇØ But donÔÇÖt be so fast to judge. All of us are basically selfish, ungrateful, and can see only our current ÔÇ£needsÔÇØ and desires. Everyday hundreds of others serve us and we only pause to complain to the one of 100 who did not perform up to our standard.

Have you said thank you lately to the fire fighter, law enforcement officer, store clerk, teacher, doctor, pastor, or the service person? Even more importantly what about the friend who is always there, that special grandparent, your brother or sister, your mom or dad, your mate, or even your children? Why are we so ungrateful to those who love us the most and are closest to us?

In a world bent on satisfying ÔÇ£selfÔÇØ with power, pleasure, and possessions the gracious thankful person with a smiling face and positive words is a rarity. America is one of the greatest nation on this earth, but even on Thanksgiving Day few will even pause between the turkeys and T.V. to offer a word of thanks to their creator. Billy Graham says, ÔÇ£Thanksgiving is a part of the intimate relationship that exists between us and God. Yet there are thousands today who are not thankful. We arenÔÇÖt thankful as individuals nor are we thankful as a nation.ÔÇØ

Robert Woods quoted in Forbes Magazine says, ÔÇ£We donÔÇÖt thank God enough for much that He has given us. Our prayers are too often the beggarÔÇÖs prayer, the prayer that asks for something. We offer too few prayers of thanksgiving and praise.ÔÇØ Just because most people we meet will be ungrateful does not mean that we should return in kind. ÔÇ£It is anotherÔÇÖs fault if he be ungrateful; but it is mine if I do not give. To find one thankful man, I will oblige many that are not so. I had rather never receive a kindness than never bestow one. Not to return a benefit is a great sin; but not to confer one is a greater.ÔÇØ ÔÇô Seneca

More than one hundred thirty times in the Bible we are called upon to give thanks to God. In the Psalms alone we are reminded of it thirty times. ÔÇ£Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.ÔÇØ (1) ÔÇ£It is good to give thanks to the LordÔÇØ (2) My favorite is in the New Testament when we are instructed to ÔÇ£thank God no matter what happensÔÇØ (3).

As we enter this holiday season may we form a life-long habit to be thankful to our family, friends, and everyone that we encounter. And let us all be thankful to God. He has given us all things. And remember, spiritually speaking, we are all born with an incurable disease, yet He has freely offered the cure.

May we all learn to be ThankfulÔÇôeven in the difficult times

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
May this day we all remember that God owns it all, and we are His steward, We should be Thankful for Everything, and I am thankful for you. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Devotion: A Life Boat
 

A Life Boat

ÔÇ£Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushedÔÇØ (Psalm 107:28-29).
My colleague in ministry showed me a New Testament of the American Bible Society wrapped in a waterproof cover. The label said it was a New Testament for Lifeboats and Rafts. Inside was the name of a World War II veteran who had obviously used it. My mind raced with interestÔÇôwhat could have brought the New Testament to the attention of the one who had taken it? Had he actually ended up in a life raft on the ocean in World War II?

GodÔÇÖs Word is exactly for such timesÔÇöthe storms of life, the insurmountable odds, the unanswered questions. When the ship of life is about to go down, it is His Word that is always timely, adequate, appropriate. ÔÇ£He stilled the storm,ÔÇØ said the author of Psalm 107, reminding us that God rises to the occasion and intercedes on behalf of those who are fearful. He takes control, giving us the direction we need.

An old hymn says: ÔÇ£Jesus, Savior, pilot me over lifeÔÇÖs tempestuous sea.ÔÇØ He faithfully reminds us of His presence in the lifeboat.
Thank You Lord that any problem or issue we encounter when turned over to You becomes manageable, Praise God. Amen

Devotion: A Reflection on Wisdom
 

A Reflection on Wisdom

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.ÔÇØ Isaiah

The Bible says that Paul both thanked God for the churches in and around Ephesus and that he prayed for them. Specifically we see that he prayed that they might be given ÔÇ£a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him [God].ÔÇØ

Note that he did not pray that they might learn to be wise or that they might somehow attain wisdom through their own efforts, but that God would give the church a spirit of wisdom and revelation. So we can see that God is not only the source of wisdom, He is the dispenser of wisdom as well.

In Isaiah we read these marvelous words: ÔÇ£And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.ÔÇØ You may recognize that as a prophecy about Jesus, and you will know from your study of Jesus that He did indeed possess a spirit of wisdom and understanding. You will also notice the similarities in IsaiahÔÇÖs prophecy and in PaulÔÇÖs prayer.

But there is an aspect to wisdom that we often forget, and it is phrased beautifully by C. S. Lewis in his book The PilgrimÔÇÖs Regress. The lines go like this:
ÔÇ£And what is this valley called?ÔÇØ
ÔÇ£We call it now simply WisdomÔÇÖs Valley: but the oldest maps mark it as the Valley of Humiliation.ÔÇØ

Every blessing,

My prayer is that you will find each day devotions stimulating, inspiring, and thought provoking, and that in some way they will deepen your love for God and your love for GodÔÇÖs children. May your day be about HIM and full of GodÔÇÖs love, grace, mercy, protection and blessings....Glenn

Devotion: Esther, For Such a Time as This
 

Esther, For Such a Time as This


"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14-15).

Esther was a Jewish orphan living in the land of Persia after her people were taken into captivity from Jerusalem. Raised by her cousin Mordecai, she lived during the time of King Xerxes who reigned over Persia that stretched from India to Ethiopia. An edict was sent out to bring all the virgins to the king's palace from the surrounding regions to replace Queen Vashti who found disfavor with the king and was deposed. Esther was one of the young women taken and was ultimately selected to be the next queen.

Mordecai had a high ranking position in the government that allowed him to learn of a plot by Haman, an official of the king, to kill all of the Jews.

Now, the only way this edict would not be carried out was if Esther asked for an audience with the king to request that the plot be abandoned on her behalf. However, to request an audience before the king was a serious matter. If he refused to give her audience, the penalty was immediate death.

It was at this time she made her famous statement, "If I die, I die." Esther realized this could be the reason God created her - to save her people from destruction. However, out of concern for Esther, Mordecai explained the situation to her, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish." Mordecai was giving her a choice. Either she will be used by God or someone else will be used to save their people.

Everyday you and I are given a choice in our workplace and our lives. Are we willing to be the person God uses to impact the future destiny of a people? Many of us are silent Christians simply letting the status quo reign while we sit quietly by watching. Who knows that you were created for such a time as this to be a catalyst to stand in the gap for some situation in your workplace or community or nation.

Be faithful to your calling.

Devotion: Picking Fruit
 

Picking Fruit


"So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant" (Joshua 24:13).

A friend lived on a golf course. Golf has been a part of his life since he was eleven years old. It has taught him many life lessons. He went to college on a golf scholarship and later turned professional for three years.

He often walks at sundown for exercise and use this time to pray. It is a quiet and beautiful place to walk. When he walks, he usually finds one or two golf balls along the way. But one time was different.

On this particular walk, he began to find golf balls everywhere he looked. When he had collected 5, he began to notice how strange this was. Then, it became 8, then 10 and finally his pockets were literally stuffed with 13 golf balls!

When something unusual happens in our daily life experience it is a time to tune in to your spiritual antennae. God is often at work. So, he prayed, "Lord, what are You saying through this?" The answer came quickly: "I have called you to walk a specific path. I will bring the fruit to you. All you will have to do is pick it up and stay on my path for you. That is what it means to abide in Me."

The people of Israel conquered the Promised Land as a result of obedience, not sweat, toil, or natural talent. In our work life call, He desires to give us fruit from our calling when we fulfill the unique purpose for which God made us. You will not have to manipulate the outcome. Abide completely in His presence and purpose for your life so you can pick the fruit He desires to bring into your path. His nature is to do exceedingly beyond what we can think or imagine.

Devotion: Come To Me
 

Come To Me


Romans 10:13 ÔÇ£For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

I thank God for the meaning of the word, "Whosoever." That word included me and all that will accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Thank God, He included me!

This very description of those whom the Lord will save is clearly denied by Calvinist. But I ask you, isn't it amazing that all Calvinist are included in their TULIP belief, that God has predestined some people to be saved and some that will never get the chance to be saved.

I thank God for His Word that clearly states that the Jesus came to the World that the WORLD might be saved, John 3:17.

Believe me when I tell you, that there is no short supply of the Grace of God to forgive man of their sin and save them, but there have been, are now, and will be men that will not come to the Lord, they will not confess their sinful way and make Jesus Christ Lord of their life.

I read a story where an atheist barber took a preacher through the city slums to prove his point. The barber made a remarked, "This is why I cannot believe in a God of Love. If He is kind as you say, why does HE PERMIT all this poverty, disease and sin? How can HE allow these poor people to be addicted to drugs and other character destroying habits?"

The Preacher went silent until they met a man who was a drug addict, an alcoholic, and especially dirty, smelling really bad. His hairs hung down on his shoulders and the stubble covered his face. Then the Preacher said, "YOU ARE NO BARBER AT ALL, or YOU would not permit a man like that to continue living in this neighborhood without a haircut and a shave!"

The atheist barber, very upset at the Preacher's statement replied, "Why blame me for that man's condition? I can't help it if he's like that. He has never given me a chance! If he would only come to my shop, I could fix him up and all for FREE!"
The Preacher just LOOKED at the barber and said, "Then don't blame God for allowing these people to continue in their evil ways when He has sent His Only begotten Son to die for them, when God has constantly invited them to come, be saved and then He would deliver them."

The barber GOT THE POINT!

Devotion: God's Chosen Few
 

God's Chosen Few



"But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction."- Job 36:15

He was born with cerebral palsy in South Africa. He barely survived his birth. He did not walk until he was four years old. One leg was longer than the other and he could not speak well. For most of his life, his hands shook and he had little control over them. Feelings of rejection and bitterness at his plight were common occurrences during his growing-up years. During his school years, he was chastised by kids and generally rejected by society.

At age 17, his father felt led to take his son to a healing service. That night, the young boy's leg divinely grew two inches. He no longer walked with a limp. Bradley met the Savior and began to grow in his intimacy with Him. God began to speak to him and show him things. Prayer became his source of comfort and strength. God gave him insights about people and situations, bringing blessing to all who encountered him. Today, this young man travels around the world as an internationally known intercessor and founder of a school of intercessory prayer. Literally hundreds of hours of knowledge about the way God speaks to His children have been birthed in and through this young man.

One evening Bradley walked forward in a meeting of about 40 workplace believers and handed a note to the leader during a Christian business conference. The note was for someone in the room, but Bradley did not know whom it was for. It was the last day of a 40-day fast for this writer.

The message gave a specific description of what I had been experiencing the two years leading up to that night. Nobody would have known such details. I knew it was for me. It was a miraculous "telegram from God" that provided confirmation and encouragement of where God was taking me. God used one broken man to speak to another broken man.

God's ways are not our ways. His preparation of His warriors seems cruel and hurtful at times. His ways are much higher than ours. Trust the God of the universe that He can orchestrate the events of your life when they seem the darkest.

Devotion: Standing in the Gap
 

Standing in the Gap

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found none." Ezekiel 22:30).

Israel fell into sin when they worshipped the golden calf. It would not be the first time God's people would fall into idol worship. They had forgotten the great things God had done for them. This angered God so much that He was going to destroy the whole nation. Only one thing changed God's mind in the matter. Moses. Psalm 106:23 says that "had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them..." Moses was a man willing to stand in the gap, sacrificially for those who were not deserving of such sacrifice. This sacrificial love by Moses is called for among His people today.

The prophet Ezekiel describes another situation in which the people of God fell to sin. God was ready to destroy the nation. God speaks to Ezekiel asking him if there is a man willing to stand in the gap so that God does not have to destroy the nation.

Judah was a man who stood in the gap on behalf of his younger brother, Benjamin. Joseph held all the brothers captive in Egypt but allowed them freedom only if someone would stay as insurance for bringing the younger brother back to Joseph. Judah had a long history of a me focused life, but here he comes forward to stand in the gap for his younger brother because of his love for his earthly father, Jacob. His sacrifice was rewarded.

Just as Christ did we are to be the one who will stand in the gap on behalf of
those who are not aware of their own vulnerable condition. It is a proactive sacrificial position. Who is God calling you to stand in the gap for? Perhaps it is a mate, perhaps it is a business associate that has not come to know the savior, and perhaps it is a wayward child. Are you willing to become the sacrificial offering to God to thwart His plans of judgment because of your willingness to stand in their place? This is a hard teaching.

This is what Jesus did for each of us. When we stand in the place of another, God moves because of our willingness to stand on their behalf. If we don't, His plans will go forward because He is a righteous and Holy God that must honor His own word even if it means destruction. Are you willing to stand in the breach of the wall today for someone? Perhaps you are the only person close enough to an individual who will stand on their behalf.

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulne
 

Fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The Holy Spirit is as the ÔÇ£seedÔÇØ that is sown in us as Believers in Jesus. We are expected to bear this fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The fifth fruit listed in this passage is kindness.

The word ÔÇ£kindnessÔÇØ comes from the Greek word ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ which means ÔÇ£to show consideration or to be friendly with others, to demonstrate usefulness and integrityÔÇØ.

Paul chose this word ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ as a fruit of the Holy Spirit because, in the culture of his day, ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ was often used when describing monarchs or other such rulers who demonstrated compassion and benevolence over their subjects. Anyone who demonstrated this quality was considered to be compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, humane, or gentle.

Paul uses ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ to depict GodÔÇÖs incomprehensible kindness, even for people who are unsaved.

When ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ is working in Believers, those persons seek to meet the needs of those around them, so much so that they deny their own comfort.

This ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ kind of kindness makes us think of missionaries in the field who have been called as apostles, who have the spiritual gift of apostleship, and who have left the comfort of home, friends, family, job, security, and conveniences and go to foreign soil to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came to earth to become one of us, He denied His own comfort, his position at the right hand of God, the Father. He adapted to human flesh that He might reach us and bring us to salvation.

Is there any way that we as mere humans can display this ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ kind of fruit on our own? Hardly! Only when we call on the Holy Spirit are we able to mirror JesusÔÇÖ ÔÇ£chrestotesÔÇØ kind of kindness to others.

Devotion: Considering Your Investments
 

Considering Your Investments


"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4).

It's rewarding to get a good return on an investment. In business we invest money, time, and people resources into promoting a product and service in hopes of a return. We make financial investments in hopes we can gain a return on our money invested. The apostle Paul understood another kind of investment. It was an investment in the spiritual lives of people.

He invested his life in a man named Epaphras, who was a man deeply impacted by Paul's investment in him. Paul makes reference to Epaphras when writing to the Colossians: "You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit" (Colossians 1:7-8). It can be rewarding to invest in other people's lives.

One day I received this note from a friend I had made an investment into: "You have had a tremendous influence on my life. For that, I will be forever grateful and love you as well." Sometimes we don't realize the difference we can make in another life. For us, it can seem a natural way of operating. We may not even think we are doing anything unusual. Until one day, you receive a note like this one.

In the marketplace we can often get very focused on the projects we are called to promote and gain a return on. However, we each need to be making an investment in other people as well.

Are you investing in lives that may be in your sphere of influence through your workplace call? The returns on this investment are considerable.

Devotion: How God Uses Pain
 

How God Uses Pain


"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7).

God will use pain in order to create a love relationship with His creation. This statement may challenge your theology. However, consider that God allowed Jesus to experience incredible pain in order to create an opportunity to have a relationship with His creation. Consider how Jesus created a relationship with Paul. He blinded him and used a crisis in his life in order to bring him into a relationship with him and use him for God's purposes. Consider how God recruited Jonah for the mission He had for him.

This is not God's first choice for His creation. Romans 2:4 reveals that God's preference is to show mercy and kindness: "Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" The problem is there are few people who respond to the goodness of God. God loves people more than He loves their comfort. He invests a great deal into mankind. He desires relationship with us and will go to great lengths to create such a relationship in order for us to receive the rewards and inheritance He has for us.

I have observed this process in the scriptures in working with people through the years. I have noticed three distinct stages. First, we live based on convenience. Our obedience is largely based on circumstances in our lives. We choose to obey based on the circumstances.

The second stage is the crisis stage. God allows a crisis to come into our lives. We are motivated to obey God in order to get out of the pain of our situation. Many times God allows us to stay in this condition in order to demonstrate His love and faithfulness during our pain. Gradually, we discover something new about God and often have a personal encounter with Him that changes us. Our very nature is affected by this God-encounter.

This begins to move us into a third phase that is a relationship that is motivated now by love and devotion instead of pain. This is where God desires us to be. Another way of saying this is we are no longer seeking His hand. We are seeking Him. We want to know God personally.

Obedience will not last when the motivation is only the removal of our pain. Obedience only lasts when the motivation is loving devotion. Where are you in your obedience and what is the primary motivation? If it isn't love, why not tell the Lord you love Him today and want to know Him for who He is and not for what He can do for you.

Devotion: Amazing Gift of Eternal Life
 

Amazing Gift of Eternal Life

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.(Colossians 1:15-17)

Jesus Christ, as the creator of the universe and the one that holds it all together, is ALL-POWERFUL. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. ÔÇ£He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we canÔÇÖt seeÔÇö such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.ÔÇØ

Though by position He possessed all power, He submitted to His Father, humbled Himself, and became a human being. ÔÇ£Christ Jesus ÔÇô Though He was God ÔÇô gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminalÔÇÖs death on a cross.ÔÇØ Jesus Christ was not only powerless in His birth, but gave up all of His power as He faced death.

The powerful Christ became the powerless baby Jesus. He became totally dependent upon others. ÔÇ£She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.ÔÇØ This is the story of Christmas, that God became man, trading His position at the right hand of the Father for a manger of straw. The powerful voluntarily became powerless that we might see not only what God is like, but have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him. That is the greatest gift that has ever been given. You would think it to be impossible unless you had personally experienced the love of God for yourself.

Father, we thank You for Your amazing gift of eternal life
through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen

Devotion: Subject: Just a Small Cross!!!
 

Subject: Just a Small Cross!!!


Therefore My people shall know My name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am He that doth speak: behold it is I. Isaiah 52:6

While driving through Frankenmuth, Michigan, I was intrigued with the many small simple crosses in the front yards of the homes we pass by. Those crosses are a statement of support for Frankenmuth's Christian foundation.

Two years ago an atheist living there complained about two crosses on a bridge in town. He requested that they be removed and the town removed them. He then decided that, since he was so successful with that, the city shield should also be changed since it had on it, along with other symbols, a heart with a cross inside signifying the city's Lutheran beginnings.

At that point, the residents decided they had had enough. Hundreds of
residents made their opinions known by placing small crosses in their front
yards. Seeing this quiet but powerful statement from the community, the man removed his complaint. Those simple crosses remain in those front yards today.

After passing those crosses, it finally hit me that a small cross in millions of front yards across our country could provide a powerful and inspiring message for all Americans passing them every day. I think it
might be time to take this idea across America.

We have an administration that says "we are not a Christian nation" and
everywhere you look the ACLU and others are trying to remove from our
history and current lives any reference to God, prayer, or the fact that our
country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Our administration can't
bring themselves to talk about "radical Muslims or Islamic terrorists" for fear of offending them, but they can talk about Americans "clinging to their guns and their religion", or insinuate that our own military troops coming home from service overseas might turn into terrorists. The majority of Americans are Christians, why are we letting this happen to us?

It's time to stand up and make a statement...a small, quiet, but powerful
statement. If you agree, place a small white cross in your front yard or
garden for all to see that they are not alone. It would be a beautiful thing
to see crosses all across America.

God has richly blessed America but America is falling short of returning thanks for it...we can help to change that.

Remember that what we keep in our yards is not half as important as what we keep in our hearts. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖd rather see A Sermon than To Read One", let us show others WHO we represent.

Devotion: Being a Vessel to Bless Others
 

Being a Vessel to Bless Others


"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:24-25

One of the reasons God entrusts money to us is to bless other Christians by meeting their needs. God uses the transfer of money within the Body of Christ to build unity among Christians. Sometimes we withhold money that God has designated for someone else. He wants to bless through us, but His will cannot be accomplished through us if we are disobedient.

This was the case for a business owner who tells of the time when God told him to forego a company bonus one year. God directed him to share his year-end bonus with an employee to show his appreciation for him. He wrestled with God for three full days before obeying the Lord on the matter. When he finally met with the employee to give him his check, the man said he had been praying about a financial need he had three days earlier. He had decided to borrow the money to meet his need. The amount of money he borrowed was the exact amount the business owner gave him.

God had already planned to provide for the employee through the business owner, but because he was hesitant, he almost missed the opportunity to be an instrument of God in this man's life. Even so, he could have prevented the man from having to borrow money. It was an important lesson for the business owner.

How many people do we let down because we feel the "harvest" God provides is all ours? In America, the pressure is always on to move up the ladder of material accumulation. Jesus warned us about this. If our focus is on accumulation, we will not look for opportunities to be God's vessels of financial blessing to others. Ask the Lord if you have an open hand when it comes to finances.

Devotion: The Poor and the Marketplace
 

IDK if I said this before, but my Uncle always did this for my mom: he cut most of the field with his eqpt, and left "half rows" or tight spots, and on the way home, he would stop by & tell mom where to take us kids to pick vegetables.

she would give him a tall cold sweet tea and a sammich or whatever.

wish life was simple again......
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The Poor and the Marketplace

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10).

God has a special place in his heart for the poor. In the book of Isaiah we read these words:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh? -Isaiah 58:6-7

So how does God want us to care for the poor? Is it through government welfare programs, food stamps, or soup kitchens? God gives us his answer in the Old Testament story of Boaz, Ruth and Naomi. It was customary for farmers to not glean their entire fields in order to leave some of the crop for the poor to glean.

This allowed the poor to come at the end of the day and work to receive their provision. This is how the widow Naomi was able to care for herself. Boaz allowed the poor in his community to come to his field at the end of the day to get the leftovers of the harvest.

Notice that God created a partnership between the marketplace and the poor. I believe it is the marketplace that has a responsibility to the poor. By providing an opportunity to glean something from our businesses through an opportunity to work, we provide provision and dignity to the poor.

What are the gleanings in your business? Consider how you might serve the poor.

Devotion: REJECTION
 

REJECTION

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:7)

Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you (1 Peter 5:7)

He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5)

Lord, help me to not base my job or happiness on what others thank about me. Let me not be resentful or offended toward others, no matter what they may say or do to me.

Help me to not be discouraged or become emotionally distraught because of a suffered wrong. Heal my heart and emotions, Lord. Fill my soul with Your love, joy, and peace.

I refuse to be bitter or angry; I choose to walk in love and forgiveness. I will pray for those who have hurt and rejected me. Lord, speak to their hearts and minister to them. I will not retaliate or hold a grudge, but I cast the care of this situation over on You. I will not speak evil of them or gossip about them.

I thank You, Lord, that You will never leave me or forsake me. You are my best friend. You uphold me, You sustain me, and You have accepted me. Even though I may have been rejected by an individual, I know that I am accepted by You. Thank You for accepting and loving me, in JesusÔÇÖ name, Amen