Devotion: Baptism at the Red Sea
 

Baptism at the Red Sea


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

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

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

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

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

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

Devotion: Divine Setups
 

Divine Setups


"Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32

Have you ever perceived yourself to be at one place spiritually only to discover that you were actually far from this place? Peter perceived himself to be so spiritually strong that he was prepared to suffer greatly for his Master. Yet Jesus knew where Peter really was in his own pilgrimage. He knew that Peter's enthusiasm did not match his reality. He was suffering from an attitude of self-righteousness. So, how did Jesus help Peter match his perception to his reality? Peter was the object of a divine setup.

First, notice that satan asked permission to sift Peter as wheat. Jesus determined that satan would be used to bring Peter to the maturity level both Jesus and Peter really desired. And Jesus was praying that Peter would pass the test. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times that very day. Peter could not believe what Jesus was saying.

Sometimes the lessons we must learn are very painful. This experience was necessary in Peter's life. It was necessary to purge Peter from his sin of self-righteousness. This very lesson would allow Peter to come face to face with his own misperception of where he was in his relationship and devotion to Jesus. When he was forced to confront this, it nearly broke him apart. He wept bitterly once he realized he had done just as Jesus had predicted.

This confrontation with reality is necessary at times in our lives. Do not be surprised if Jesus allows you to experience some painful circumstance. You may be the subject of a divine setup designed to bring you to a greater maturity level in your walk with Jesus. It may not be a fun experience when you go through it, but you will, like Peter, become a leader whom God will use to lead others

Devotion: Unlimited Potential
 

Unlimited Potential


"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

What might God want to accomplish through you in your lifetime? As a workplace believer, you may yet have your greatest contribution to society. Such was the case of Cyrus McCormick, born in 1809. Raised on a farm by an inventor father, Cyrus McCormick sought to invent a mechanical reaper to harvest wheat.

His father's attempts at inventing a successful machine had failed until Cyrus, at 22, created one that worked. McCormick had to overcome many setbacks including the loss of his patent 14 years after his first invention. This opened up competition. Then, in 1837 he went bankrupt due to the bank panic of 1837. However, these setbacks did not prevent McCormick from achieving his goals.

He expanded his market by trying to sell his machine to European farmers in 1851. A long series of honors compensated for the lack of recognition and praise from his American compatriots. By 1856, he was not only a world figure but his factory produced more than 4,000 reapers a year.

McCormick was a committed believer. He lived during the time of D.L. Moody and gave $10,000 to Moody to start the Chicago YMCA in 1869.

That building burned along with his Chicago factory in 1871. By this time, McCormick was over 60 and wealthy enough to retire. Before his death in 1884, he had given $100,000 to help open Moody Bible Institute.

His son, Cyrus Jr., was to become the first chairman of the school's board. Cyrus McCormick was a devoted Christian who passed his faith on to his son who later met up with J. Pierpoint Morgan to become the first president of a combined reaper firm, the famed International Harvester Corporation. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 328-331.]

What might God want to accomplish through your life? Surely you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Devotion: Making the Lord Our Banner
 

Making the Lord Our Banner

"Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner." Exodus 17:15

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. God instructed Moses to stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. Moses' staff represented something that God said He would use to bring glory to Himself. The staff represented what Moses had done for most of his life - shepherding. It was his vocation. When God first called Moses at the burning bush, He told him to pick up the staff; He would perform miracles through it.

God wants to perform miracles through each of our vocations. At Rephidim, God defeated the Amalekites only when Moses held his staff to Heaven. It was a symbol of dependence and acknowledgment that Heaven was the source of the Israelites' power. When he dropped his hand, the power was removed and they began to lose the battle. Each day we are challenged to reach toward Heaven and allow God to be the source of victory in our lives and in the workplace or be defeated.

God calls us to let His banner reign over the workplace so that others may know the source of our victory. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven' " (Exodus 17:14).

The Lord wants those behind us and around us to know that He is the source of our power and success. With each victory is a testimony that is to be shared with our children and our associates.

Is the Lord your banner today? Reach toward Heaven today and let His banner wave over your lives and work so that He might receive glory from your life.

Devotion: God's Timing is Perfect
 

GodÔÇÖs Timing is Perfect

All things work together for good to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)

Perfect timing is rare, especially where as humans we are concerned, but Praise God, God has specific purpose and plans for us, and His timing is always perfect.

Here is an example of timing in the Bible:
ÔÇó AbrahamÔÇÖs servant prayed for a wife for Isaac. God answered his prayer by bringing the young woman to him. (Genesis 24)
ÔÇó Joseph was sold as a slave, falsely accused, and thrown into prison and eventually God used him to preserve many peopleÔÇÖs lives during a famine Genesis 45:5-8; 50:20)
ÔÇó EstherÔÇÖs courage was used for the kingdom for such a time as this to help save her people.

Many are disappointed in the pace of GodÔÇÖs plan but we need to just trust in the Lord and He will open doors when the timing is perfect. Always have faith in God and remember, though dark the clouds may be today, the Son will shine. He has planned our paths and His love never fails.

Thank Your Lord that Your timing is perfect every time and on time. Amen

The Purpose of Crucibles


The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. - Proverbs 17:3

This proverb describes one of God's strangest mysteries. It is a description of God's formula to refine the human heart in order to bring out its finest qualities. The significant leaders who make the greatest mark for the Kingdom had to experience their own crucible and fire. Without it, the dross can never be removed from the human heart. Without it, the encumbrances weigh us down. God understands the human heart. He understands that for us to become all that He hopes for us, there are seasons of fire. Joseph went through many tests. Succeeding in the test qualified him for greater responsibility. The greater the use in the Kingdom, the greater the crucible, to prepare the right foundation. Some of God's greatest crucibles are found in the workplace where we live every day: the employee who betrays our trust, the client who refuses to pay, the vendor who falls short of our expectations.

Each of these is a test from God to find out how we will respond. What tests are being brought your way today? His grace has been provided that we might pass the tests that He brings before us. Should we fail, we need not fear. His grace is sufficient for this as well. Ask God for the grace to walk with Him in whatever tests He has placed before you this day. He is able to accomplish what He wants for you.

Devotion: The Cost of Unbelief
 

The Cost of Unbelief


"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrew 11:5-6).

How is your faith quotient? On a scale of 1 to 10 where would you rank yourself? Everyday, I marvel at the faith most of us exercise without even thinking about it.

We drive our cars 60-70 miles per hour with an oncoming car doing the same with only a white line and six to eight feet separating us.
We place our faith that every car will not cross into our lane.
We fly on airplanes that take us over oceans, trusting the pilots with our very lives.
We ride on thrilling amusement rides that take us several stories into the air and travel fifty to seventy miles per hour down a winding slope.
We trust the operators of that ride with our own mortality.

There is a great irony in the fact that we can place our faith in such things but cannot place our faith in the hands of our Creator. God got angry with one of his priests named Zechariah when he questioned his angelic messenger about his wife becoming pregnant with John the Baptist.

"Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.' The angel answered, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time'" (Luke 1:8-20).

Zechariah was struck mute because of his unbelief for nine months until the birth of John the Baptist. What consequence have you suffered from a lack of faith? Jesus is always looking for faith on the earth. Is there an area in your life where you have not been able to trust God? Why not repent of your unbelief and place your faith totally in His hands today.

Devotion: Hearing God on the Job
 

Hearing God on the Job


"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).

God is rising up a new kind of workplace believer who is experiencing the power of God in their daily work life. My friend, Emeka Nywankpa, was a barrister (lawyer) in Nigeria. Emeka spoke at a conference a few years ago on the subject of how the spiritual impacts the physical.

Emeka shared a story about arguing an important Supreme Court case in his country. There were five points to argue in the case. The morning the trial began, he prayed with his wife and junior lawyers in his chambers. During his prayer time, he sensed that the Holy Spirit was telling him, "Do not argue points one through four. Only argue point five." Imagine making such a change just before you is to argue a case before the Supreme Court!

In the courtroom, Emeka announced that he wished to drop points one through four and only wished to argue point five. The judge was shocked, but gave him permission to proceed. He argued point five and sat down. The other attorney got up, and then for twelve minutes stumbled around trying to defend his position, unable to get a coherent word out.

Finally, he approached the bench and said, "Your Lordship, it is unfortunate that my learned friend has dropped the first four points. I wish to yield the case." The other attorney had only prepared for the first four points. Emeka won the case. God had given him a strategy to win his case supernaturally. It made no sense to him, but he obeyed and God gave him victory in a very unusual way.

Isaiah 48:17 tells us "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.'"

When is the last time you allowed God to give you a strategy to be successful in your work life call and bring glory to His name? This is his desire for you.

Devotion: The Success Test
 

The Success Test

"But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today" (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Muhammad Ali is considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He won 56 of his 61 professional fights and knocked out 37 opponents. His most famous catchphrase was, "I am the greatest!"

One day, Ali was seated in an airplane when the flight attendant came up the aisle to make sure that all the passengers had their seatbelts fastened. Reaching Ali's seat, she asked him to buckle up.

"Hmph!" the champ sneered. "Superman don't need no seatbelt!"
The flight attendant smiled sweetly and replied, "Superman don't need no airplane, either." Ali fastened his seatbelt.

The greater our success, the greater the risk of us thinking too highly of ourselves. Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle observed, "Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity there are a hundred that will stand adversity." And Oswald Chambers wrote,

"Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity."

Each of us must view success as a gift from God. We must learn to see all of our successes as a gift from God, not our own achievement. The Lord is the source of all success, all elevation, all blessing. If you have a good mind and a healthy body, if you live in a land of opportunity, if you have a good education, if you've had a few breaks go your way, then you have much to be grateful for and no cause for arrogance.

You didn't achieve success; you received it as a gift. Each of us must voluntarily humble ourselves before God or God will have to humble us Himself.

I have learned it is better to learn humility voluntarily, than involuntarily! Paul tells us: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you" (Romans 12:3).

Devotion: Living in the Supernatural
 

Living in the Supernatural
By Bill Money

Lord there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us our God, for we trust in You and in Your name  2 Chronicles 14:11
Prayer only works when we pray. Our time of prayer in the morning is the center point for all we do, whether we recognize it or not.

If we neglect our time of prayer and reading scripture, we rob our activities of God's power working through them. Our prayer reconfigures things.

One theologian wrote: "intercessory prayer is spiritual defiance of what is, in the way of what God has promised."

I am convinced that if Christ is both raised and Lord, then an active dependence on prayer should characterize my life.

"We are called to live with the love of Christ as a motivating force of our inner being," Jerram Barrs writes, "and actively depend on the power of God as we seek to serve and obey Him.

Prayer, moment by moment prayer, is to characterize the people of God, for we are living in a supernatural universe, one open at all times to God's intervention in our lives in this world."

(Francis Schaeffer: A Mind and Heart for God, (2010) p. 81)

As the 21st century unfolds, may we, as God's people called to ministry in the marketplace, live, whether anyone notices or not, as if we really, actually believe that we live in a supernatural universe run by a Father who loves us and has redeemed us.

May our prayer life reflect that belief, and made that life of prayer transform us, the business entrusted to us, and the lives and marketplace and world around us.

The Training Ground of God "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands fo
 

The Training Ground of God

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

David was a man skilled in war. From his days as a shepherd boy to the days of serving in Saul's army to leading his own army, David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior?

The only way one can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle. It is only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles. Practice doesn't make you battle ready. War games won't prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield. The stark reality of being in the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors.

Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. Knowledge without experience is mere folly. Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith. This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ in the workplace.

Consider it to be suicidal faith - faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God's purposes for my life. It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and you are at the mercy of God. These are the real training grounds of God. Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today. It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.

If you can trust Him in these times, you'll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances. "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."

Devotion: God's Timing
 

GodÔÇÖs Timing


"Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone'" (Mark 1:42-45).

Have you ever had a problem keeping a secret? Especially if that secret involves good news. Many people can't keep a secret like this. They are sure to blurt it out to the wrong person at the wrong time.

There is a timing that is ideal for releasing information or moving forward with a project. Jesus understood the importance of timing. When He performed His first healing miracle He instructed the man He healed with leprosy to not tell anyone. Now that would be difficult - not to share being healed from leprosy with your friends who have known you and your condition. He could not keep the secret.

As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere. Jesus desired to do more things in that city, but because the man could not keep quiet, He could not do so.

How often has Jesus not been able to move in your situation because you have failed to honor the right timing of the situation? Perhaps you have moved ahead when you were not supposed to move. In the Old Testament, David was fighting the Philistines. He won the first battle, but they were coming against him again. He inquired of God and God said, "Go to battle, but not until you hear the marching in the balsam trees" (2 Samuel 5:23). There was a strategic timing associated with his actions

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven?" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Ask God for His timing in your projects to be released.

Devotion: When Hope is Deferred
 

When Hope is Deferred


"So satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, 'Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!'" (Job 2:7-9).

I walked into the room and my friend burst out crying. "I'm so discouraged! I don't know what else to do. Will I ever get better!?" After three years of fighting a medical condition the doctor just told her no progress had been made in the last six months of treatments. Alternative treatment was needed that might have more severe side effects.

Great men of God with healing ministries had prayed for her. Thousands had prayed for her. A string of doctors had failed to yield any position results. When hope is deferred, the psalmist says, the heart becomes sick. During these seasons, we can only do one thing.

We must hang onto whatever faith we have to get through each day and entrust our lives to Him. "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

When faith doesn't see results it challenges what we believe. We must pray as Job prayed: "Teach me what I cannot see" (Job 34:32). God says there is a purpose in everything we go through. Later that day she talked to a friend who once had the same issues, but was now better. "God is going to reveal things to you through this season of adversity that you would never receive had you not gone through this. This is part of your calling even though satan is the instrument. God is always bigger than satan's afflictions."

Our greatest tests come when we cannot see positive results from our faith and obedience. In such cases we must die to our expectations and entrust them to our Lord.

Devotion: The Spiritual Life is Caught, Not Taught
 

The Spiritual Life is Caught, Not Taught

"Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah" (1 Kings 19:20).

There is a man in my life who I consider my mentor. He came into my life during a crisis period and helped me understand my situation. I have learned a great deal from him. I have rarely spent more than a few hours in his presence at any one time. However, I did not learn from him through a formal arrangement. I mostly caught what I have learned. He never took me through a Bible study. He never sent me articles or things to read. I learned by being around him.

One day I had a crisis situation arise. I remembered what my mentor did in a crisis in his life. I decided to apply the same faith principle to that issue. Amazingly, a miracle occurred because I appropriated faith, just as my mentor had, to my crisis. This is what I mean by catching the faith of another. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning.

When Elijah handpicked Elisha as his successor, Elisha immediately killed his twelve set of oxen and ran after Elijah just to be with him. No doubt he knew what a great privilege it was to be selected by the great prophet. However, it was not enough for Elisha to be handpicked. He also wanted a double portion of Elijah's anointing. It appears that God answered this prayer.

If you want to grow in your Christian life, ask God to lead you to a man or woman who is far ahead of you spiritually and simply start hanging out with them. As you walk alongside them you will begin to catch what they have. You will begin appropriating the anointing that is on their lives that will mix perfectly with your unique gifting and talents.

We need more people today who are willing to run after their "ElijahÔÇÖs

Devotion: Eternal Life
 

Eternal Life


(Matthew 19: 16 ÔÇô 25) 16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, ÔÇ£Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?ÔÇØ 17 ÔÇ£Why do you ask me about what is good?ÔÇØ Jesus replied. ÔÇ£There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.ÔÇØ 18 ÔÇ£Which ones?ÔÇØ he inquired. Jesus replied, ÔÇ£ÔÇÿYou shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,ÔÇÖ [a] and ÔÇÿlove your neighbor as yourself.ÔÇÖ[b]ÔÇØ 20 ÔÇ£All these I have kept,ÔÇØ the young man said. ÔÇ£What do I still lack?ÔÇØ

21 Jesus answered, ÔÇ£If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.ÔÇØ 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ÔÇ£Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.ÔÇØ 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ÔÇ£Who then can be saved?ÔÇØ

The Text is of the Story of the Rich Young Ruler, which is all we know him by. This young man asked Jesus two very important questions. The first question we find in verse 16 where he asked Jesus; "what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Now if someone was to ask you that question, you would tell them to accept Jesus as their personal savior, but this is not the answer the young man was looking for. He was looking for what HE COULD DO to obtain eternal life.

Is that not what the WHOLE WORLD is looking for, Eternal life without accepting Jesus? Obtaining eternal life without Jesus is impossible! John 14: 6 clearly states that Jesus is the WAY! Jesus is the ONLY WAY!

i think the hardest part of life to know when enough is enough, and start giving some of it away to other people.

it is so hard to look around you, and see all your friends with huge trucks, fancy rolex's (gotcha!), pistola's, AR's, all the cool man toys...and say "enough is enough"

i have been going crazy to buy a new truck for the last few months...but i just can't justify it.

how do you balance your personal wealth, savings, retirement investing, bills, vehicles, hobbies, tithing, and giving offerings above and beyond your tithe... ??

I think that is the real gist of this verse. someone has to be "rich" to be able to give when & how it is needed. and that "rich" person needs to handle it with prayer

Devotion: Opening Our Spiritual Eyes
 

Opening Our Spiritual Eyes


"And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:17

Elisha was counseling the nation of Israel against the impending attack of the king of Aram. The Lord supernaturally gave Elisha the plans that the king was implementing, and in turn, Elisha warned Israel of each intended attack. The king could not understand why his plans were continually foiled. It seemed there was a secret informer in his midst. He was furious when he was told it was the God of Israel who was to blame for this inside information. The king decided the only way to resolve the situation was to get rid of the problem - kill Elisha.

The king's forces arrived and surrounded Elisha and his servant. Elisha's servant became upset and fearful when Elisha was not upset. Elisha immediately prayed that his servant's eyes might be opened to see that there was no need to be afraid, because the angels were protecting them.

And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, "Strike these people with blindness." So He struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked (2 Kings 6:17-18).

Who is the Elisha in your life? Do you have a mentor friend who can see the activity of God in your life when you cannot see it? We all need to have somebody we can trust to help us see the activity of God. It is often difficult for us to see what God is really doing because we are so consumed by the circumstances of the moment. Ask God today to help open your spiritual eyes that you might see Him in your circumstances.

Devotion: Follow Me
 

Follow Me!

ÔÇ£After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ÔÇÿFollow me,ÔÇÖ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed himÔÇØ (Luke 5:27-28).
Jesus had been preaching the Good News, healing those in needs, and carefully choosing people to follow Him. The Pharisees observed Him with a critical spirit. Jesus withdrew for a time to pray, and then he went and found Levi collecting taxes. Jesus looked the man in the eye and said simply, ÔÇ£Follow me.ÔÇØ Levi responded by moving out of his comfort zone and following Jesus. Then he made his commitment to Jesus known by opening his home where Jesus could come and meet his friends.

The world, in this case the Pharisees, was critical. ÔÇ£Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?ÔÇØ they asked Jesus. Of course, that was exactly what God had sent Jesus to do.

ItÔÇÖs encouraging to know that God uses ordinary people like Levi to serve Him and build His church. And like Levi, we should look for ways to build His church by being available to those outside the family of God, helping them make a spiritual connection with the Savior. Following Jesus means more than accepting Him; it also means serving Him.

It is the purpose of God to take His church and make us the channels through which He expresses Himself

Devotion: Desert Preparation
 

Desert Preparation


Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. - Galatians 1:17

The apostle Paul tells us in the first chapter of Galatians some of the facts surrounding his own conversion. He tells us that he clearly understood the call Jesus placed on his life. He did not have to consult other men about this calling. But before he was released to begin his own mission, He went to Arabia for three years. Why did Paul have to go to Arabia for three years before he ever met another disciple of Jesus Christ?

The Scripture does not tell us plainly why Paul spent three years in Arabia. However, based upon many examples of God placing special calls on people's lives, we know it often requires a time of separation between the old life and the new life. No doubt, Paul had plenty of time to consider what had taken place in his life and time to develop an intimate knowledge and relationship with the newfound Savior. His life was about to change dramatically.

So often, when God places a call on one of His children, it requires a separation between the old life and the new life. There is a time of being away from the old in order to prepare the heart for what is coming. It can be a painful and difficult separation. Joseph was separated from his family. Jacob was sent to live with his uncle Laban. Moses was sent to the desert.

When God began a deeper work in my own life, it required a separation from all I had known before. He removed all that I had placed confidence in up to that point. It was very painful and very scary since I was in my mid-40. In my mind, it was not the time to start life over. I had been making plans for early retirement. God had a different idea. He removed all my comforts and security in order to accomplish a much greater work than what I could see at the time. The picture is clear now. I understand why it was necessary, but I didn't at the time.

Perhaps God has placed you in your own desert period. Perhaps you cannot make sense of the situation in which you find yourself. If you press into God during this time, He will reveal the purposes He has for you. The key is pressing into Him. Seek Him with a whole heart and He will be found. God may have a special calling and message He is building in your life right now. Trust in His love for you that He will fully complete the work He has started in you.

Devotion: Forgiving Those Who Judge You
 

Forgiving Those Who Judge You


"After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10).

Have you ever been wrongly judged? Have you ever had people assume there was sin in your life because of the troubles you may have experienced? Or perhaps they judged your motives as wrong. What if the people judging you were your closest friends?

This was exactly what happened in the life of Job. His friends did not understand how a godly person could ever go through his degree of adversity unless God was judging him for his sin. However, his friends were wrong and God intervened. "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has," said God to Job's three friends.

Nothing has really changed after thousands of years. I recall going through a seven year "Job" experience. Friends in the marketplace could not understand why I would experience such calamity unless I had made poor choices. Those in the Church often wrongly equated trouble with sin. Sometimes this can be true, but often trouble is simply a consequence of a call on one's life such as Joseph and the apostle Paul experienced.

Joseph was required to forgive his brothers. Jesus was required to forgive Judas and the disciples for betrayal. You and I are required to forgive those who wrongfully judge us. This forgiveness is often THE most important step in gaining restoration in our own lives. The scripture above reveals that it was not until Job prayed for his friends that he was restored in the things he had lost.

Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? It may be the missing piece of your puzzle for restoration.

Devotion: Coming Out of Babylon
 

Coming Out of Babylon

..."Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes." Revelation 18:4

There is a day when God is going to judge the system of Babylon around the world. What is Babylon? Babylon is a system of doing business. The stronghold of the workplace is mammon and pride.


Dependence on money and misplaced trust are at the core of a Babylonian philosophy of life. Revelation 18 describes a time when God will judge this Babylonian system. It is the one place that we see a system destroyed in one day, even one hour. I do not believe Babylon is a particular city, but a world system. "Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her" (Revelation 18:8a). "Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!" (Revelation 18:10b).

As Christian workplace believers we are called to acknowledge the signs of the times. When the Soviet Union fell, many knew it was going to happen because they could recognize the signs of the times. God has a way of shaking things up. These shakings force us to determine who and what we will place our trust in. God says that we are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthews. 22:37).

Are you still living in Babylon in the way you do business? If so, expect to share in the sins of Babylon when God decides to judge her. Ask God to show you where you might be operating in a "Babylonian" system of work.

Devotion: Obedience with a Cost
 

looks like I fell behind, here are a few to catch us up...sorry...

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Obedience with a Cost

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all. - Exodus 5:23

Have you ever felt like you have been obedient to the Lord for something He called you to do and all you get are more roadblocks? This is the way Moses felt. When Moses went to tell Pharaoh to release the people because God said so, Pharaoh simply got angry and made the people make bricks without straw. Moses caught the blame for this from the people. Moses was just learning what obedience really means in God's Kingdom. You see Moses had not even begun to release plagues upon Egypt. He hadn't even gotten started yet in his calling, and he was complaining about his circumstances. There were many more encounters with Pharaoh to come, and many more plagues with no deliverances in sight. Why would God tell Moses that He is going to deliver them and not do it?

It was all in timing. God never said when He was going to deliver. He just said He would. In the next chapter, we find Moses arguing with God about not being capable of the job God had called him to:
But Moses said to the Lord, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 6:12-13).

Do you get the feeling God was losing His patience?
God had a good reason for His delays. He said, "And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it" (Exodus 7:5). God not only wanted the people of Israel but also the Egyptians to know Him. It would be the greatest show of God's power on earth.

God often causes delays in our lives that we cannot understand. Sometimes it seems our obedience is not getting rewarded. Jesus said He learned obedience through the things He suffered (see Hebrews 5:8). Imagine that - Jesus having to learn obedience. What does that say for you and me? Sometimes God's delays are simply because He wants more glory in the situation, more recognition, more Christ-likeness in you and me through greater patience and obedience. Faint not, for the promise may yet come.

Devotion: Expecting the Supernatural
 

Expecting the Supernatural
By Bill Moeny

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

The picture Jesus paints of the kingdom of God is very different from the way most of us live daily. Look at some of HIs statements:
ÔÇó "Without me you can do nothing" John 15:5
ÔÇó "Everything is possible for him who believes" Mark 9:23
ÔÇó "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you." John 15:7
ÔÇó "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the son may bring glory to the father." John 14:13
Do we believe these passages to be true? I do not mean, "we believe the Bible to be true therefore we believe these passages to be true," but do our actions - the way we live show that we believe these passages to be true? When we see impossibilities in front of us, do we lose heart? Do we get discouraged? Do we vow to "work harder, and overcome the obstacles?"

Or, do we go before God, with our hands open as little children and ask Him to resolve the problem? And then, do we act as if He is going to do so?

What would our behavior look like if we REALLY believed the issue was no longer an issue because we prayed, received a sense God planned to answer the prayer, and BELIEVED the answer was coming?

What if we sought a promise (out of the 30,000 promises in Scripture) that applied directly to our situation, CLAIMED that promise before Almighty God and TRUSTED He would keep His promise? What would our behavior look like? Could others tell we trust in God? Would our business associates see God working in and through us? Or, would they just see that "we are really capable, hard-working, and effective businessmen and women?ÔÇØ Would the glory go to us or to God?

God did not choose us to run this company for our glory. He did choose us to run His Company for Him and to represent Christ in the marketplace so that all the glory and honor would go to Him.

When we expect God to work supernaturally, we act in a way where it is clear that we could not have done it without Him. ALL the glory then goes to Him. That is His plan and that is our call. We are to run our companies under His power, expecting Him to act supernaturally for His glory.

And the bonus is that we get to experience Him working through us, doing the things only He can do

Devotion: The Error of Positive Thinking
 

The Error of Positive Thinking


..."Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)

God's people should be the most positive, joyful people on earth. This joy should be a by-product of a healthy, intimate relationship with Jesus. In today's business climate, we are barraged with every possible means of becoming more productive workplace believers. Positive thinking and self-help philosophy are promoted as tools for workplace believers to fulfill their potential and overcome the mountains in their lives. God calls each of us to be visionary leaders, but we must be careful that vision is born out of His Spirit, not the latest self-help program. These ideas lead us away from dependence on God to a self-based psychology designed to give us more power, prosperity, and significance.

The result is heresy. Our faith in God becomes faith in faith. It is born out of hard work and diligence rather than obedience to God's Spirit. The problem lies in that these philosophies sound good, and can even be supported by Bible verses. Beware of anything that puts the burden of performance on you rather than God. There are times in our lives when God doesn't want us to climb every mountain. Sometimes He wants us to go around. Knowing the difference is the key to being a man or woman led by the Spirit.

God has called us to affect the workplace through His Spirit, not by our might. Have you tapped into the real power source of the soul? Ask the Lord to reveal and empower you through His Spirit today. Then you will know what real positive thinking is

Devotion: Spiritual Strongholds
 

Spiritual Strongholds


"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." - 2 Corinthians 10:4

One of the great discoveries I made in later years in my walk with God has to do with living in victory over generational strongholds. The Bible speaks of punishing the children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generations. (See Exodus 20:5.) The only way out of living under the curses of generational strongholds is to acknowledge them before the Father and repent of their reign in our lives. This breaks the curse's future effects.

A stronghold is a fortress of thoughts that controls and influences our attitudes. They color how we view certain situations, circumstances, or people. When these thoughts and activities become habitual, we allow a spiritual fortress to be built around us. We become so used to responding to the "voice" of that spirit, that its abode in us is secure. All of this happens on a subconscious level.

As a businessman, I discovered that I had been influenced by a generational stronghold of insecurity and fear that was manifested in control. This subconscious fear motivated me to become a workaholic, to seek recognition through activities, to control others' behavior to avoid failure, and to have a relationship with God that was activity-based instead of relationally-based. One day God brought about a number of catastrophic events that forced me to look at what was behind these events. I found that the influence of these strongholds was at the core of these symptoms. The Bible speaks of this war on our souls.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:3, 5-6).

The steps to freedom for me came when someone shared that these were sins that I was harboring, and in order to walk free of their influence, I needed to repent of them. It was through the power of the cross that I no longer needed to be subjugated by their presence. Once I took this step, I began to walk free of their influences. Besides salvation, this became the most important discovery in my entire Christian walk. My relationship to Christ changed immediately. I began to hear God's voice. I began to trust Christ in areas I never thought possible. I could truly experience the love of Christ for the first time.

This knowledge helped me in business as well. One day I was in the middle of a contract negotiation with another Christian businessman. A lawyer had jumped in the middle of the negotiation. My friend began to surface many old feelings that were a source of pain from his past. When I perceived that a stronghold of insecurity and fear was at the core of his response,

I interrupted his argumentative discussion with me and said with a very forceful tone, "I am no longer going to listen to the spirit of insecurity that is speaking through you right now! If you don't refrain from this, I am going to leave!"

My friend was taken back. He looked at me quite startled. After a few moments, he agreed with my diagnosis. We talked through what he was feeling and completed our negotiation without further incident.

What are the true motivations of your heart? Have you ever looked deeply at these motivations? You might find that these subconscious motivations may be preventing you from experiencing the fullness of Christ in your life. Ask Him to reveal these and then repent of their influences.

Devotion: Our Staff as Our Protector
 

Our Staff as Our Protector


"The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands'" (Exodus 17:9).

Moses' staff represented his vocation as a shepherd. When God first met Moses' in the desert at the burning bush, he told him that he was going to use his staff to perform miracles and bring a people out of slavery. God related to Moses through his vocation as a shepherd.

Moses later faced one of his enemies in the new land, the Amalekites. God told him to go to the top of the mountain and hold his staff up to heaven. As long as his staff was outstretched to heaven, Israel would win the battle. But if it was not uplifted, they would suffer defeat.

"So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning." (Exodus 17:10-11).

Isn't this an interesting picture? When we raise our "staffs" up to the Lord, He becomes our protector. He is our defender. As long we offer up our staffs before the Lord, He can work through it. He works on our behalf. When we lower it, we lose the blessing of God.

When God told Moses He was going to use his staff to bring a people out of bondage, he first had to lay his staff down on the ground. God changed it into a snake and then God told Moses to pick it up by the tail. God was telling Moses to take authority over the serpent in this prophetic act. When Moses picked up the staff, the scripture tells us it is no longer Moses' staff, but it is now the staff of God.

Friend, the lesson for us is to continually offer up our work lives to the Lord and see His protection and blessing upon us as we continually raise our work to the Lord for His use.

Devotion: Then
 

THEN

(1 Kings 18: 38) ÔÇØThen the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.ÔÇØ

The Prophet Elijah has went before King Ahab and made a suggestion of a contest, a contest between the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel and the little "g" god Baal to see which is the REAL GOD! King Ahab approves the contest and so Elijah stand and proclaims the rules of the Contest, Elijah against 450 Baal prophets, 400 groves, and the people of Israel. Sounds a little unfair donÔÇÖt it? Elijah says, the God that sends fire will be THE GOD we will serve!

Well, Elijah lets the Baal prophets go first. They pray to Baal, even cut themselves, but nothing happens, NO FIRE! Now itÔÇÖs Elijah's turn, but notice what he had to do. First he had to repair the Altar. Second he laid the wood IN ORDER and cut the sacrifice and laid it on the Wood.

Next, Elijah does something that captures the attention of everyone, even the readers of this passage. He orders them to pour not just 4 barrels of water on the wood and the sacrifice, but he orders them to pour 12 barrels of water. So much water was poured on the Altar that it filled the trench that was dug around the Altar. If I know anything about building a fire, you don't want to soak everything with water first before you add the fire.

But, Elijah knew the REAL God! Elijah now repaired the Altar, he had place the wood and the sacrifice in the order, he has 12 barrels of water poured on the Altar and now Elijah PRAYS.

He prayed 63 words and "THEN!" "THEN" the Fire of God came down from Heaven and CONSUMED THE ALTAR, THE WOOD, THE SACRIFICE AND IT EVEN LICKED UP ALL THE WATER IN THE TRENCH! This was one of the greatest Revivals recorded in history! When the people of Israel saw the Mighty Work of God, they repented!

Folks, we will never have a "THEN" after we pray until we do the things that are important before we pray. Have you allow things to tear down your Altar? Is your sacrifice in order, is your sacrifice an accepted Sacrifice? These things must happen before we will have a "THEN" experience when we pray.

Devotion: Block Logic
 

Block Logic

"For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land" (Jeremiah 32:15).

In the scriptures we discover a difference in the way the Hebrew mind viewed things compared to the way many Westerners relate to God. Hebrews used something called Block Logic. That is, concepts were expressed in self-contained units or blocks of thought. These blocks did not necessarily fit together in any obvious rational or harmonious pattern.

Greek logic, which has influenced the Western world, was different. The Greeks often used tightly contained step logic which reason a premise to a conclusion, each step linked tightly to the next in coherent, rational, logical fashion.

This is why some Bible stories don't make sense to the western mind. It is particularly difficult for Westerners - those whose thought-patterns have been influenced more by the Greeks and Romans than by the Hebrews - to piece together the block logic of Scripture.

Consider Jeremiah and God's instruction to purchase land in a seemingly inopportune time. If I asked you to purchase some land when you knew that the country you were living in was about to be invaded and you were sure to be placed under arrest, how wise do you believe such an investment would be? Do you believe God would lead you to make such an investment? That is exactly what God told Jeremiah to do. However, God had a good reason for having Jeremiah make such a purchase. It was to be a testimony and a promise that God was going to restore the Jews to their land.

Hebrews made decisions based on obedience. Greeks (and Westerners) often made decisions on logic and reason. If the early church made decisions based on a pro and con method of decision-making, there would be no miracles in the Bible. i.e., such as getting the coin from the fish's mouth, walking around the walls of Jericho to take the city, Peter walking on water, etc.

We are not to question God's instructions. We are simply to obey.

Devotion: Strange Instructions
 

Strange Instructions


"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands" (2 John 6).

A distinguished Indian evangelist named Sadhu Chellappa was on a mission trip to a village north of Madras, when in the middle of the night he suddenly sensed God speaking to him: "Leave this house quickly and run away!"

Not exactly a convenient thing to do. But Chellappa was accustomed to accepting even strange instructions from the Lord without debate, so he dressed quickly and ran into the darkness.

After a while, he was in open country. As he passed beneath a large tree, he felt God tell him, "Stay here and start to preach!" Now, even for an experienced evangelist, this was puzzling--because there was no one to be seen. Why did God want him to preach to an empty field in the middle of the night? But he stopped under the tree and began to preach the gospel.

Finally, he reached the point at which he called on his unseen listeners to give their lives to Jesus. He was surprised to hear a voice from the top of the tree and see a man climb down, crying. The man tearfully gave his life to Jesus. When Chellappa asked why he was in a tree out in the middle of nowhere, the man admitted, "I came out here to hang myself."

How is your obedience quotient? God calls us to be obedient to that small voice inside that can direct us to sometimes do strange things. Jesus was obedient in ALL things. "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). God can do exceedingly great things through one man or woman who is willing to be obedient to God's voice. Ask for His grace today to be obedient to His voice.

Devotion: Unrighteous Acts
 

Unrighteous Acts


..."Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?" - Nehemiah 5:9

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Babylon. Jerusalem's walls had been destroyed and word had come to Nehemiah that the remnant of his people left in Jerusalem were distressed over the plight of the wall.

Nehemiah was grieved over this situation. He appealed to his king for permission to rebuild the wall. When he got to the city, he found many problems among his own people due to an economic crisis in the region.

Among the classes affected by the economic crisis were
(1) the landless, who were short of food;
(2) the landowners, who were compelled to mortgage their properties;
(3) those forced to borrow money at exorbitant rates and sell their children into slavery.
It was unlawful for Hebrews to charge interest to other Hebrews.

"Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others" (Nehemiah 5:5).

Nehemiah stepped forward to admonish his people for this wrongful action on the basis that not only was it wrong, but God would respond to such action by making them susceptible to His judgment through the Gentile enemies.

Nehemiah was modeling to each of us a spiritual principle regarding sin. Whenever we sin, we give God permission to unleash the enemy into our souls to deal with that sin. Nehemiah understood this principle and warned the people of what this action would encourage from God. The people repented and returned the money gained through usury.

As Christian workplace believers we must make sure that our practices are righteous in God's sight. If not, we can expect the enemy to be released to judge that sin. Ask the Lord today if there is any unrighteousness in your life or business practices that makes you vulnerable to judgment.

Devotion: Check Your Armor
 

Check Your Armor


"That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies.... (Joshua 7:12).

Battle commanders want to know the vulnerabilities of their enemies. Companies want to know the vulnerabilities of their competition. We also need to know our spiritual vulnerability.

This is the message God told Joshua when he attempted to go against a small army at Ai, which was the Israelites' second battle in the Promised Land. Sometimes we try to figure out why we are not successful in an endeavor from the natural only. We look at all aspects of our performance to see what went wrong. Perhaps our strategy was flawed or our timing was off or our pricing was wrong. For the people of Israel, it was not easily seen on the surface. Everything seemed just as it should be from Joshua's vantage point, so when his army was soundly defeated, he cried out to God, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (Joshua 7:7a).

The people had been defeated because God could not bless them. One person had violated the covenant with God. They were not to take any possessions from the first battle, but one person failed to be obedient and the whole army suffered.

Sin makes our armor vulnerable to attack from satan, who then gains permission from God to attack us in the area where we have failed to uphold righteousness. If we break down in moral purity, satan comes in and establishes a stronghold. If we give place to bitterness and unwillingness to forgive, we will break fellowship with God and others. If we become money-focused, we will fall into greed and deception. It is a vicious cycle.

Examine your armor today. Make sure you are not susceptible to attack. Begin from a solid spiritual foundation and your chances of success will be great.

Devotion: To Meet Such a Man
 

To MEET SUCH A MAN

'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.' (Jeremiah 29:11)


I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank.

I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.'

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.

'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.

'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'

'Have you eaten today?'

'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'

'Would you like to have lunch with me?'

'Do you have some work I could do for you?'

'No work,' I replied. 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'

'Sure,' he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. 'Where you headed?'

ÔÇÿSt. Louis.'

'Where you from?'

'Oh, all over; mostly Florida.'

'How long you been walking?'

'Fourteen years,' came the reply.

I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'

Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God

'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'

'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.

'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'

'What?'

'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'

'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me.'

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.'
I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked.

He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.

'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see. ÔÇÿI was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.

'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.

'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'

'Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?'

'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.'

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.'

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'

'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.'

'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.' 'The Lord is good!'

'Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked.

'A long time,' he replied

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.'

'I'll be there!' was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'

'You bet,' I shouted back, 'God bless.'

'God bless.' And that was the last I saw of him.

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.

Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will...

If this story touched you, forward it to a friend!

'I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.'

Please pass this to those people you want to be blessed.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. Prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another. God bless and have a nice day!

'Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and e-mail buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace, In Jesus' precious Name Amen.'

GOD BLESS YOU MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

Devotion: Alone With God
 

Alone With God

And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. --John 6:3

Just prior to this miraculous multiplying of the bread and fish, Jesus "went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples"(John 6:3). That fact is noteworthy. It seems plain that Jesus withdrew purposely from the great press of people who had been pursuing Him.

There are some things that you and I will never learn when others are present. I believe in church and I love the fellowship of the assembly. There is much we can learn when we come together on Sundays and sit among the saints. But there are certain things that you and I will never learn in the presence of other people.

Unquestionably, part of our failure today is religious activity that is not preceded by aloneness, by inactivity. I mean getting alone with God and waiting in silence and quietness until we are charged with God's Spirit. Then, when we act, our activity really amounts to something because we have been prepared by God for it....

Now, in the case of our Lord, the people came to Him, John reports, and He was ready for them. He had been quiet and silent. He had sat alone with His disciples and meditated. Looking upward, He waited until the whole hiatus of divine life moved down from the throne of God into His own soul. He was a violin tuned. He was a battery recharged. He was poised and prepared for the people when they came.

"Lord, I'll spend a lot of time in the company of others today, but now I come in quietness and silence to wait for You to fill me. Amen."

GodÔÇÖs Awesome Power
By Bill Money

"for nothing will be impossible with God" Luke 1:37

Do we believe this verse to be true? Do we believe that God is who He says He is? Do we live like it?

He says He is omnipotent: He spoke the universe into existence; He controls time, space, matter, and light; He obeys only His own counsel. He works on thousands of levels all at the same time. He is sufficient unto Himself.

Either He is omnipotent or He isn't. God's power is impressive; it should not be underestimated. He does not need anybody or anything to accomplish His purposes.

If God has infinite power, what implication does that have for your life and my life? Do you suppose He would share some of His power with you if it were in His and your best interest?

Or perhaps, you think: "He doesn't know what I need.ÔÇØ God says He is omniscient; again, either He is or He isn't. He knows what you need even before the need arises.

But perhaps, you think, He doesn't care. He says He is compassionate and the very embodiment of love. Either He is or He isn't. Because He loves us we can utterly, really trust him.

But know this: this same God is uncontrollable. If He is omnipotent, we had better prepare ourselves to accept the consequences.

Because we serve a God who is uses trials for His glory and our transformation, Annie Dillard (author*) suggests that in church, we should not dress for 'church.' In fact, she says, "We should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares, they should lash us to our pews."

When you come to know Him it will only be on His terms. To know Him is to trust Him; to trust Him is to rest in Him. He will give you the rest you seek, but only after He has shaken the foundations of your life.

If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-caring, you don't need to run your business or your life by yourself any longer.

What is keeping you from trusting Him with your family, your business, your finances, your future?

Devotion: Being Responsible for Your Words
 

ÔÇ£Being Responsible for Your WordsÔÇØ

33 ÔÇ£Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.ÔÇØ
Matthew 12:33-37

In Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus is describing the process of the main fruit of our life, our words. He is using a tree as the example. A tree trunk, the bark, the limbs, nor the leaves make the tree. It is the roots that make the tree. The root determines the fruit. Jesus said that out of the abundance of our hearts, our words would come forth.

It is what most in you that determines what you say is. That is why we cannot have 10% word and 90% world and speak the word effectively. We are speaking spirits, created in the likeness and image of God. God changed His environment with His words. He spoke by faith the words of life and created what He desired.

This is why faith is not the greatest force in the universe, but your words. Faith, good or bad, will bring the words out and it is those words that determine your life. Adam had been given dominion over everything in the earthly realm that God had spoken into existence. He had the same ability that God had in this area, but he failed to use it to keep the order that God had created. When we become a child of God, everything becomes new and in order, but it is our words that keep them that way. We have a responsibility to speak what God has planned for our lives because He has given us the dominion over the earthly realm.

This is why Jesus said we have to say what heaven says. I believe that it is extremely important right now to make a check of our words. Doors are before us and it is our words that will open or close them. There are so many great things that God has for us but we must declare a thing so it can be established for us.

Devotion: Intentional Prayer
 

Intentional Prayer


Jesus speaking: ÔÇ£Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.ÔÇØ John 14.13

This passage tells us two very important features of how God's kingdom works. The first is the incredible promise of Jesus that He will do whatever we ask in to His name that is according to His will, His purposes, His ways, and His character. This amazing promise significantly affects how we pray, and drives us to deeper listening prayer and examination of Scripture to determine what Jesus wants to do.

It is an awesome thing to pray in JesusÔÇÖ name. In John 14:26, Jesus says "but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things...ÔÇØ The phrase "in My name" is the same in both passages. What Jesus is telling us in John 14:13 might be paraphrased as follows: "Whatever you ask representing Me just as the Holy Spirit does, asking according to My will, My purposes, My ways, and My character, that I will do". To pray in JesusÔÇÖ name is to represent Christ. In the same way that an officer of a company represents the CEO or the Board of Directors, so we represent Christ when we pray in His name.

This places a significant responsibility on us to not pray frivolously. If I am to pray in JesusÔÇÖ name, then I need to know what Jesus wants to do. I need to understand what His will is in the matter. I need to study the Scriptures to know His purposes, His ways, and His character. I need to examine my prayer journal to know what He has said about particular issues in the past; what does He want to do with my life or the company He has hired me to manage? What Scripture has He emphasized previously that might relate to the issue at hand?

When I am reasonably confident that I can represent Christ's interests on earth just as the Holy Spirit does, then I can go before Him and pray in JesusÔÇÖ name. And He has promised He will do it. I will probably need to be persistent in asking (Luke 11.5-13), but I need not doubt, and must not doubt, that what I have asked will be provided. Jesus promised, and it is as good as done.

This is why it is critically important to spend time in the Scriptures and spend time in prayer in developing a strategic faith plan. We truly enter into a partnership with Christ, wherein Jesus is accomplishing His purposes for our lives through us. Prayer is the tool that Jesus uses to accomplish the development of the business He has hired us to run. We need to pray thoughtfully and with integrity, and hence with power, and watch God do far more than we can imagine through us and in us.

Devotion: Effective Leadership
 

Effective Leadership


"And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant." - Exodus 14:31

What makes an effective Christian leader today? Is it charisma? Is it ability? Is it communication and oratory skills? God's view of an effective leader has nothing to do with these qualities. They may be a part of an effective leader. However, the core attribute of a Christian leader is his integrity with God and his obedience to follow Him. When this happens, God manifests His power in and through that leader. Moses was effective because he was willing to obey the commands God gave him. When Moses did this, God manifested His presence in him. The result was that people followed. They followed because they saw God working in and through the man. They saw that this man was worthy of following because God's anointing was on him.

When people see the Lord's power manifested in your life, they will have a healthy fear of the Lord. They will look at you and say, "This person has something I don't have that is worthy of more investigation." Your challenge is to seek the Lord with a whole heart, resulting in God's power being manifested in the daily activities of your life. When this happens, you can expect others to be drawn to what they see in you. The problem with many Christians today is that non-Christians see nothing different about the way they live to motivate the unsaved to desire their faith.

What makes you different from your neighbor? Is your experience with God noticeably different from that of the man next door? If you're not experiencing regular encounters with God, it's time to ask why not. We don't live day-to-day for the next spiritual experience, but we should see by-products of a life centered in God that is reflected in fruit from His presence in our lives.

Devotion: Manifest vs. Market
 

Manifest vs. Market


"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Numbers 20:7-8).

The Bible says that Moses had a unique walk with God. God said Moses was the most humble man on earth and He spoke with him face to face (Numbers 12:3 and Exodus 3:11).

When Moses met God at the burning bush God said, "Moses, I'm going to perform miracles through your staff." And He did. He turned his staff into a snake. He brought plagues upon the nation and even parted the Red Sea with his staff. He even struck the rock with his staff to bring forth water.

But later, God called Moses to operate on a new level. Instead of using his workplace tool (his staff) to perform miracles, God was calling Moses to manifest the miracle through his words. "Speak to the rock Moses!" But Moses, frustrated by the stiff-necked people, struck the rock instead out of anger. Amazingly and in spite of his disobedience, God still allowed Moses to get water out of the rock. God will often work through your anointing, even when you do it in your flesh, just for the sake of others. But beware my friend; it will be at a great cost. Like Moses, you will not enter your promised land and may lose your inheritance.

God is calling us to manifest breakthroughs by operating at times as God did, by speaking to the problem. Be available to the Holy Spirit at times when God calls you to use your authority in your calling to manifest His power in a situation that needs a breakthrough.

Friend, God is calling you to manifest His Kingdom through a higher level of relationship with Him. Are you willing?

Devotion: Good Things versus God-Things
 

Good Things versus God-Things


Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. - Romans 8:14

The greatest sign that you and I are maturing in our walk with God is when we can discern the difference between "good things" and "God-things." When the people of Israel journeyed out of Egypt through the desert, the cloud led them by day. They could move only as fast as the cloud. If they went ahead, they went without God's presence. If they lagged behind, they also lost God's presence.

Each of us must have the discernment to know when God is leading in a matter, or if it is simply a good idea. There are so many things in which you and I can be involved, and the more successful you become, the greater the temptations to enter into things where God has not called you. Entrepreneurs are especially prone to see all the opportunities.

I recall one time when I entered into a project that I thought was a great idea. It would help many people. After two years, the project had to be discontinued. It was a great lesson on understanding what projects have God's blessing on them. There are some projects you and I might get involved in that result in little fruit compared to the investment put into them. That is because they may never have been birthed by the Holy Spirit.

As sons of God, we are called to be led by the Spirit. This requires a level of dependence on God in which many of us really do not want to invest.

It requires listening, waiting, and moving only when God's Spirit tells us to move. Workplace believers are "action" people. We know how to get things done, but our greatest strength can be our greatest weakness.

Today, ask God to make you a Romans 8:14 man or woman who is led by the Spirit of God. Pray against lagging behind or moving ahead. Ask God to reveal whether the next project you consider is a "good thing" or a "God-thing."

Devotion: Less Than The Best
 

LESS THAN THE BEST


Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

It is disheartening to those who care, and surely a great grief to the Spirit, to see how many Christians are content to settle for less than the best. Personally I have for years carried a burden of sorrow as I have moved among evangelical Christians who somewhere in their past have managed to strike a base compromise with their hearts holier longings and have settled down to a lukewarm, mediocre kind of Christianity utterly unworthy of themselves and of the Lord they claim to serve. And such are found everywhere.

Every man is as close to God as he wants to be; he is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wills to be. Our Lord said, ÔÇ£Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.ÔÇØ If there were but one man anywhere on earth who hungered and was not filled, the word of Christ would fall to the ground.

Yet we must distinguish wanting from wishing. By ÔÇ£wantÔÇØ I mean wholehearted desire. Certainly there are many who wish they were holy or victorious or joyful but are not willing to meet GodÔÇÖs conditions to obtain it.

Lord, may I settle for nothing less than the best when it comes to my relationship with You. Give me a wholehearted thirst for You that I may partake of the incredible privilege of intimately fellowship with You. Amen