local Daily Devotions

[04ctd]

Joy of the Lord

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV)

Every Child of God, because of the filling of the Holy Ghost, has inside of their hearts a joy that is SO Great that it is unspeakable! In other words, there is no way to explain it by worldly means or words. Now I agree that there are people, who proclaim to be a Born Again believer, but yet their faces show gloom and their actions show doom! I believe some people instead of being saved, they have got religion instead, and it is for that reason they do not know the Joy of the Lord!

Now, if one has truly been saved, let the world know it by the glow on your face and the words of encouragement from your mouth. Let the redeemed say SO!

[04ctd]

Receiving Only From God


"I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me-to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share." Genesis 14:24

Abraham's nephew was a man named Lot. Lot was part of Abraham's household until the land on which they fed their flocks could no longer support their growing families and herds. Abraham allowed Lot to choose the land where he wanted to live. Lot chose the land of Sodom.

Afterwards, four kings invaded Sodom, and Lot's family and goods were taken into captivity. When Abraham learned of this, he immediately gathered his best fighting men and pursued the armies to free Lot and his family. He was successful in freeing Lot's family and the families of Sodom.

The king of Sodom was grateful to Abraham for what he did and wanted him to keep the goods he recovered. Abraham had made a decision before the battle that he would only keep what he recovered for his nephew Lot, and goods as payment for the men who fought.

Abraham understood the principle of receiving from God. He was a man with great integrity in God. He did not want to be known as someone who became wealthy because of the kindness of a wicked king. He wanted others to know that whatever prosperity he gained was a result of the blessing from God's hand alone. Abraham understood an important principle of receiving from God.

Jesus also modeled this principle by receiving only what His Father wanted Him to receive. God's will for Jesus was to receive based on a carpenter's wage even though He was the God of the universe who had access to all things. Imagine the discipline Jesus had to have, knowing what He could have had. He upheld His own financial integrity in God. Each of us must discern what comes from the hand of God rather than the hand of man.

As workplace believers, there are situations that allow us to manipulate, sweat, and toil our way to profit. There is also profit as a result of hard work done in obedience to our calling to the workplace.

Knowing the difference in these two concepts is a sign of integrity before God. Only God receives glory when we receive what God wants us to receive. Are you receiving the fruit of your labor in God? Ask God to show you the difference of these two concepts for your own life.

[04ctd]

Joy Test

1 Peter 1:8 (KJV) "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:ÔÇØ
Today there are many people that have NO JOY! Worst yet, they proclaim to be Christian, Born Again Believers! Now I ask you, are you one of those Christians?

Let's take the Joy Test to see what your condition is; do you have a smile on your face or a frown? Are you judgmental of others and evaluate other's way of living instead of your own? Do you use your telephone for gossip line and a means of tearing others down instead of using your phone to encourage others or for the proper purposes? Have you started thinking negative about everything? Your job means more to you than you husband or your wife? If you answered YES to any of these questions, and you were being truthful and honest, there is a reason that you have NO JOY and that reason is SIN!

In the book of Job 20:5, there is a powerful scripture that says, ÔÇ£That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?" There is only ONE REASON that a Child of God can have a roller coaster attitude and a negative outlook and that is UNCONFESSED SIN IN THEIR LIVES! Christians need to realize that there is a GOD, and it is not THEM! Although a child of God is persecuted and everything just doesn't always go the way we want them to, THAT IS NO CAUSE FOR a loss of Joy and periods of SADNESS!

When Cain's sacrifice was not accepted by God, Cain was very angry and sad. In Genesis 4:6, look what the Lord asked him, "|And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?" God did not ask Cain this to find out something He did not know, God knew why Cain was angry and sad, He just wanted to see if Cain knew the reason himself.

I ask you today, do you know why that you are so angry and sad today? If Christians, for just one second will look in the mirror and ask yourself, "If I was a lost person looking at me and the way I am acting, would I be able to see Jesus in ME or would I see somebody that I would not want to be like. I beg every one of you; think about it, it makes a lot of difference!

[04ctd]

The Dangers of Over Control


"For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king." - 1 Samuel 15:23

A friend of mine who is a jet pilot once told me that whenever a jet goes out of control and begins to spin, the only thing to do is totally take your hands off the controls and the plane will right itself. This goes against our natural inclination to control and manipulate in order to bring things back under control. It is scary to be out of control. Or is it?

Saul was a man out of control. He was losing control of his kingdom to David. He was losing the favor of God and the people. It began as compromises. Eventually he was given a final test to obey the voice of God fully. He was instructed to kill the Amalekites completely; but he failed to follow through. The prophet Samuel delivered a hard word to King Saul, "Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king" (see 1 Samuel 15:26). Saul obeyed partially, but not fully. It was partial obedience that led to his removal as king of Israel and his calling from God. But why did Saul do such a thing? "I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them" (1 Samuel 15:24b). Saul's fear and insecurity made him more afraid of the people and what they thought than of God. At the core of Saul's disobedience was fear of losing control. That fear of losing control led to partial obedience and the loss of his reign as king.

How many of us are in danger of losing God's blessing due to partial obedience? How many of us have such a need to control people and circumstances that we fail to fully walk in obedience to God's voice in our lives? Saul provides a great lesson for us as workplace believers. The need to over control things around us can prevent us from receiving all that God has for us. Today, take an inventory of your control quotient.

Ask God if you are being fully obedient to what He has called you to do this day, and avoid being put on the shelf for disobedience. "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22b).

[04ctd]

Receiving Bad News


"Also our enemies said, 'Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work'" (Nehemiah 4:11).

He opened the letter from the attorney and began to read the contents. The more he read, the sicker his stomach felt. He could not believe the words he was reading. He literally felt sick with fear. Perhaps you've had a similar experience. Maybe you got news that you've got cancer. Or someone has had an accident. Or you are being sued.

Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem. The going was tough. As if things were not tough enough, he got a letter from another corrupt government official threatening to kill anyone involved in rebuilding the wall.

"But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat (Nehemiah 4:7-9 emphasis mine).

There is but one response we should have to bad news. Pray to our God and take the necessary steps to defend ourselves against the threat. This was Nehemiah's response.

Once you begin to take these actions avoid projecting what might happen to you in the future. This is a sure-fire first step toward depression. Ask God's grace for one day at a time only.

"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:24-26).

Turn your bad news over to the Lord. He specializes in turning crises into opportunities.

[04ctd]

Obedience-based Decisions vs. Skill & Ability

As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle. (1 Chronicles 14:13).

The Philistines are attacking. David wants to know how to respond. His first inquiry of God reveals that He is to attack the Philistines straight away. God will give him victory. David follows the instruction of God and gains victory. Shortly after, the Philistines are mounting another attack. David inquires again, "So David inquired of God again, and God answered him, "Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees."

This is a most interesting thing that David does. Consider that David is a well-trained warrior. He is a strategist. Yet, we find that David's dependence upon God to direct his efforts is very great. In fact, after he wins the first battle he goes right back to inquire again. This is the most important lesson we can learn from this story. God tells David to attack, but only after he hears the marching in the balsam trees.

How many times have you or I operated in the marketplace based only upon our skill and ability without seeking to know the details of the will of God in the matter? David could have simply assumed since he won the last battle, surely God would automatically give him victory the same way. No. David had learned that communicating with the living God is the only sure way of victory. His skill was not enough. He had to have the blessing of God.

How many times have we worked in our business life the same way each time only because it was the way we did it last time. What if God has a better way for you? What if God has a different plan than ours? "So David inquired of God..." These are the important words that we are to learn from. We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on the matter. When we do this we can expect the same results that David achieved...success in our endeavor and recognition by God.

"So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him." This is the reward of obedience to God. We don't have to build a name for ourselves. God will see to it that you are honored for your obedience. He wants to make known those servants who are willing to obey Him at all costs.

[04ctd]

Spiritual Contracts


"In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years." - Daniel 9:2

When you enter a legal contract, it binds the two parties to fulfill the terms of that contract. In Heaven there are legal contracts that, when fulfilled, allow the spiritual to impact the physical.

Israel had been in captivity to Babylon for 70 years. Daniel, when he investigated the history of his nation, found the prophecy of Jeremiah, which revealed there would be 70 years of captivity. He recognized that in order to release his nation from this captivity, there had to be a confession of sin on the part of the nation. Daniel took that responsibility. Although he could not personally repent for his nation, he could acknowledge their sin and repent himself. When Daniel acknowledged this sin before God, something took place in Heaven. God heard this prayer and responded by sending His angel Gabriel to Daniel's side.

We know from history that this was the time when Judah's return from exile began. Daniel's prayer of confession was the spiritual key to the physical manifestation of releasing the nation from captivity to Babylon.

Whenever you want to confront spiritual forces that have dominion over a situation, you must find the source of the problem. Once you find the source of the problem, you must take the necessary steps in the spiritual realm to release God's power into that situation. For Daniel, it meant taking responsibility for the sin of the nation by confessing its sins and asking forgiveness on behalf of the entire nation. This allowed God to begin the process of releasing the nation.

Ask God to show you the source of the problems that may exist in your city, your work, or people you want to see freed to fulfill God's purposes for their lives.

[04ctd]

Avoiding Conflict


Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, "He must go to his own house; he must not see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king (2 Samuel 14:23-24).

Many people hate conflict to the point they will never confront a wrong. Taking this path will only lead to later hardship, such was the case for Absalom and his father King David.

Amnon, also a son of David, raped his sister Tamar. When this happened, David was furious but he did not punish Amnon for his actions. Absalom saw this as a terrible injustice for his sister. So, Absalom plotted to kill Amnon at the right time. He patiently waited for two years before he set up a situation to have him killed.

David was heartbroken over the death of Amnon and held Absalom responsible. At the same time, David still desired to have a relationship with Absalom, but because he failed to address the situation with Amnon when it happened, it led to more serious consequences in the family. Absalom was banished for three years because of David's anger towards him which allowed seeds of resentment to grown in his heart. Absalom then conspired to overthrow David's kingdom.

It is imperative to confront problems when they arise no matter how uncomfortable it might be. We are called to speak the truth in love. "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:15-16). Failure to confront in love allows the enemy to sow greater seeds of conflict.

Is there someone in your life that you need to confront in love? Make plans now to get with this person and work through the issues that divide you.

[04ctd]

BE ALIVE IN CHRIST


Psalms 85:6 ÔÇ£Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?"

It is my belief, which is based on the Word of God, that God will revive His people when their hearts are in a repent mode, when they have come to themselves realizing that they are not in the will of God. God KNOWS our hearts and He know when we are serious about our spiritually slack condition.

The reason that we don't hear or see Revivals happening like they use to is because Christians today enjoy their SPLIT life style condition, half their heart in the World that the other half in the Church. Many Christians are lying to themselves in believing that there is nothing wrong with the way they are living their lives, but the Word of God will clearly point out that error.

Another reason that we are not seeing or hearing about Revivals taking place is the fact that when the Word of God is preached, our ears and our hearts are hardened and we will not hear it. Many preachers today are not preaching enough of the Word to awaken our dead cold hearts and that is why today America is in the Shape that it is in!

Today, instead of Revival, in many cases we need a MASS RESURRECTION because Churches are DEAD!

Please help us pray for the Revival of America, our nation, our homes and our churches can BE ALIVE IN CHRIST!

[04ctd]

ÔÇ£Right RelationshipsÔÇØ
by Scott Hunter


He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20)

You need to see that one of the keys to your success will be your relationships. As in the days of the early church, the same principle applies today. When we are aligned with the right people, we will have the right things. Adversely, when we align with the wrong people, we will have the wrong things. Right relationships in the early church produced, miracles, respect and favor. The key to relationships is the word relate. You cannot have a relationship with someone you cannot relate to. In order to have the relationships that God desires for you, you must have a right relationship with Him. When your relationship with God is off, you will begin to relate to the wrong people; but when your relationship with God is right, you will relate to people who are seeking first the Kingdom of God and who are right for you. Right relationships produce strength, encouragement, and the power of GodÔÇÖs agreement.

In order to fulfill the call of God on your life, you must have these relationships. When the enemy can change what we relate to, he can change who we relate to therefore moving us out of the will of God. We cannot afford to be distracted, distraction will cause fatal errors in your life. We must refocus on what God has for us and allow Him to direct us to the right people that will help us in our walk with God. We must forget the past and press toward the future. This is going to be a great year. Begin building your relationship with God and His assigned people for your life, and as you do you will find the peace and joy of living in His will.

To learn more about how God is using Scott to reach the lost and hurting, check out his website at www.compassionfireandglory.org .

[04ctd]

TWO TIMERS


1 John 2: 15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

There are many Christians that are TWO TIMERS! Now some of you may not understand what I am talking about here. A TWO TIMER was what one was called when they had two boyfriends or Girlfriends at the same time; they were labeled as a two timer.

Many Christians today are just that, they say the love the Lord, but at the same time they love the things of the World. Paul wrote in the book of 2 Corinthians 6: 17 "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," Christians should be known by the World as a people that are different, those that don't have anything to do with the sinful things of the World.

In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says Christians are "a peculiar people." The word, "Peculiar" means strange or odd. Now that is the view of a Christians from the WORLDS EYES!

Now the problem is this, Christians are now so entangled in the Worldly things; they are no longer viewed by the world as being ODD! As a matter of fact, when looking at some Christians and some churches, they are so WORLDLY that they have become a JOKE to the World!

If a person loves the Father, they will love His Word and obey ALL OF IT. WHO DO YOU LOVE? DON'T TELL ME WITH YOUR LIPS; TELL ME WITH YOUR ACTIONS.

[04ctd]

Sweating Outcomes


"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves." - Psalm 127:2

Coming into the Promised Land in business will change the way you and I view our work. No longer will we see getting up early and staying up late as God's way. Living in the Promised Land in work means we know that God is the source of our provision and that our work is an act of worship to Him. Provision is a by-product, not an end in itself. Work is no longer something that must be sweated and toiled upon to make ends meet. "Could this really be true?" you might be saying. God has made it clear that obedience is the assurance of provision. Whenever we go beyond the normal workday due to fear of non-provision, we are operating in unbelief. We are saying that it is up to us to make things happen. Sure, there are times when we work longer hours due to a deadline, but we must be sure the motive is not out of fear of loss or fear of non-provision. If we are obedient to what God has called us to, He will provide our every need. This can be a hard lesson for goal-oriented workplace believers.

I recall coming into this understanding. I had been a workaholic. Long hours were common. Then God shook up my world and I was challenged by a friend to examine my motives for working long hours. I realized the source of those long hours was fear. Once I came into this understanding, I refused to work long hours even though the natural man would tell me I'd never make things happen if I worked a normal work week. Again, this reasoning is based on a lack of faith. If we are obedient to what God has called each of us to, we will not lack. At times it may be less than what we might like; at other times it may be more than we deserve. These are God's ways.

The Bible tells us to come out of Babylon. Babylon is a system of work and philosophy that is contrary to God's ways. Are you operating in any aspect of work from a Babylonian value system? Ask the Lord to reveal this to you. Begin to walk in the freedom He has given us in our work life.

[04ctd]

alertness check...
---------------------------------------------------------

Lord is Risen! He is raised indeed!

Lord, I'm so thankful that I serve a risen Savior, and He live within my heart. I'm thankful that someday I will see You, the One who died and lives again. Amen

Lord, how ironically it was that those who were outraged by a supposed violation of the Sabbath, had no qualms about plotting how they might destroy You. Amen

"HAPPY EASTER AND PASSOVER"


The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3

When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4

Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20
Praise God that death could not stop Him and the Grave could not hold Him, He lives Today. Praying that you and your family have a safe and enjoyable dayGlenn

[04ctd]

The Gospel of the Kingdom

This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." - Matthew 6:9-10

Imagine that you have never driven a car. You are not aware of all the features of a car. Up to this point, you have had to walk everywhere you go. All you are told is that you are about to receive something that will get you anywhere you need to go. The day arrives and you are given a brand new car. You get in and drive the car. However, the emergency brake is on, preventing you from going faster than 20 miles per hour. No one tells you that you should unlock the brake. Regardless, you are excited because you no longer have to walk to your destination. You are not told that the car has lights, which would allow you to drive at night. Neither are you told about the many other wonderful features of the car. You just know you have a new car that will get you anywhere you want to go at 20 miles per hour. For the rest of your life, you drive this incredible car during the daytime only at 20 miles per hour.

Why would Jesus pray that things in earth would be like they are in Heaven if it were not possible? When Jesus came to earth, He came in order to penetrate the very kingdom of darkness with light. He came to bring healing to sickness, replace sadness with joy, and fill meaninglessness with purpose. He came to change things for the better for a world that had no hope outside of God.

Using the illustration above, Jesus did not come to merely give us a ticket to Heaven (a car that you drive only in the daytime at 20 miles per hour). He came to bring us much more-the Kingdom of God on earth.

Nowhere in the Bible will you find the term, gospel of salvation. The Church does not exist for Heaven, but for earth. If it existed only for Heaven, then each of us would immediately be taken to Heaven. There would be no reason for us to remain on earth. So why has God allowed us to receive this new birth and remain on earth? It is so that we might bring the Kingdom of God into our world-our families, our workplace, and our communities.

God wants you to bring the Kingdom of God into the territory He has given you so that His will can be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Your domain is your workplace, family, and community. Ask God to show you how He wants to penetrate the darkness of your domain with His light. Then you will see and experience all the features of this gift that has been given to you.

[04ctd]

Country Wide Revival


Psalms 85:6 ÔÇ£Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?"

Just think for a moment and wonder what it would be like for a Revival to break out in America. I am talking about a United States wide Revival. One that would literally touch the hearts of the Government all the way down to Mr. and Mrs. John Doe. What kind of Changes would there be? There would be less Alcoholism, less Drug Addicts, the divorce rate would go down, the amount of homeless people would drop, the amount of hungry children in America due to godless moms and dads would drop, the battered women shelters would see less and less women coming in that had been beaten by a drunk, demon possessed husband.

Today Crime is out of control! Many Cities and towns are hiring more and more police, trying to control the crime. Just think what a Country Wide Revival would do to that! There is no doubt in my mind that if Revival would take place in every town the Prison Jail occupation would drop to half. Teen pregnancies would drop, Teen Bullying would drop, Teen Suicides would drop. Just think about that, less crime, fewer killings, less people hating one another. WOW, does it not amaze us, with all that I have said, does it not amaze us that people would not want a Revival that would turn things around that are so bad now.

Now I know that many folks reading this devotion would say, IMPOSSIBLE! Revival Country wide is IMPOSSIBLE! The fact of the matter is this, Revival is POSSIBLE!

Folks, what I have said are the Truth! Revival would make such a change for the good and get this, not a law would have to be passed to bring this wonderful change, a change of people getting RIGHT WITH GOD!

Now some people may even say, "Change of that magnitude would take a lot of something! I would say to that, "YOU ARE CORRECT!" It would take something big, and that something big is GOD! Revival comes when people REPENT OF THEIR SIN, Then GOD FORGIVES THAT SIN! THEN CHANGE COMES! Oh dear friends, Revival is promised by God, HE WILL Revive us again, but there are some things that the Born Again MUST DO!

Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 and think on that. Such a wonderful change is there, all God's people must do it follow 2 Chronicles 7:14, the road to Revival, and it CAN HAPPEN!

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?"

[04ctd]

Shepherd Your People

"Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands" (Micah 7:14).

You and I are called to be shepherds in the workplace. Your "staff" (vocation) represents your calling to your work life ministry. Moses' staff represented his calling as a shepherd. God's first words to Moses were: "Remove your shoes. For this is Holy ground." God came to Moses during his workday. His work became holy because God's presence was there.

God used Moses' staff to perform miracles and deliver the people of Israel from bondage. (Exodus 4:17). He is still issuing this same call today to you and I in the workplace. For most of us, this is where our inheritance lies.

As we minister through our work life call, our inheritance will come as a result of letting God use our abilities. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:23, 24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

What makes our work holy is the motivation by which we do it. If we work to glorify God in it and serve others in the process, that is what makes it ministry. The word ministry and service are derived from the same Greek word, diakonia.

Those in the workplace are like a remnant of a wayward people in a forest awaiting harvest. It is a fertile pasture awaiting a shepherd who can lead them into a life of purpose and destiny. Will you be the instrument of God to shepherd His people out of bondage?

Ask the Lord to use your "staff" to perform miracles and to become a shepherd to those He has called you to lead. Why not start today?

[04ctd]

Unity

"I pray not only for these but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they all be one, as You, Father are in Me and I am in you. May they also be one in Us so the world may believe You sent Me." John 17.20-21

"I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as we are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me." John 17.22-23

We see Jesus describing how the world will know that God sent Him. We see from the above passages that unity among believers ("those who believe in Me through their message") is very important to Jesus and is a key to the world knowing that the Father sent Jesus.

We often pursue unity for unityÔÇÖs sake, and we share the good news with people (appropriately so) so they might come to believe in Christ. But we seldom connect our unity with each other in God with our witness. Jesus does in vs. 20-21. In these passages He tells us that our unity is how the world will come to believe that the Father sent Him. And note in vs. 22-23 that JesusÔÇÖ prayer is that we become "completely one".

How do we cooperate with these prayers? How do we become "completely one"? Do we strive to define our differences, and then try to find ways to reconcile them? Or do we all simply pursue Jesus?

As two people walk up the mountain on different trails they get closer and closer together as they get near the top. I believe that is the model for unity - everybody involved pressing into a closer relationship with Christ. As we all come closer to Christ, we will come closer to each other and the unity that Jesus spoke of will become obvious to others. That is a work of God and will show others the truth of the Gospel. It is a supernatural unity.

How does this apply to our businesses? If all our team is on the same page, we will be much more effective than if we are pulling in different directions. A key part of this is to make sure the vision of where we are going and our purpose and mission is well communicated to all of the team and that they embrace them.

More importantly is for everyone to see that we work under the leadership and lordship of Jesus in our business. As we place ourselves, as leaders of the business, under the authority of Christ, then the unity Jesus spoke of in John 17 will begin to be manifest in our company as we are all climbing the same mountain. It will be transforming to the business we are running for Christ.

[04ctd]

Overcoming Our Past


"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." - Judges 11:29a

We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease - these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.

"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

[04ctd]

just in case you had a Turkey Sammich from Subway today...


--------------

HAPPY THANKSGIVING


Lord, may we today be thankful for our faith in You, and the abundant blessings we enjoy today and always, and may we began and ended each day with thankful prayers. Amen

For those of us in the United States, this Thursday, November 26, is our national day of Thanksgiving. Ever since the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621, we have been reminding each other that we have much to be thankful for, and we need to stop as a nation to acknowledge that. And for my friends reading this overseas, let this day be a day of thanksgiving to our Father; and for each and every one of you, IÔÇÖm thankful for you.

May we not forget or take for granted that God is the source of ÔÇ£every good and perfect giftÔÇØ, and He deserves our gratitude every day, not just today! Let us be thoroughly grateful to God for all His mercies to us.

Let us, this day, look up and recognize God as the giver of everything. We should learn to praise Him all the time, remembering that Thanksgiving should be continuous, not simple one day a year. Everyday should be a "Thanksgiving Day". May each day of your life be full of an attitude of gratitude, for everything comes from God.

May your Thanksgiving be a time to enjoy and be thankful for your family and friends and all that God has done for you and blessed you with. May GodÔÇÖs love, grace, mercy, protection, and blessings be with you and your family today and always.

Happy Thanksgiving - Im thankful for you..Glenn

[04ctd]

Working Versus Striving


"So he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty."'" - Zechariah 4:6

Your greatest obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes in your life is the skills you have acquired to perform well in your work life. One of the great paradoxes in Scripture relates to our need to depend on the Lord; yet at the same time, we're instructed to use the talents and abilities God gives us to accomplish the work He gives us to do. It has been one of the most difficult principles to live out. How do we know that what we achieve is by the power of the Holy Spirit in our life versus our own abilities, and is there a difference? When we reach a level of excellence and performance in our fields, it actually becomes an obstacle to seeing God's power manifest in our work. What we naturally do well becomes the object of our trust. When this happens, God retreats. You see, God allows us to develop skills, but these must be continually yielded to God's Spirit. There will be times when God will use these skills to accomplish His purposes. There will be other times that God will not use any of our skills just to ensure that we know it is by His power that we can do anything.

It is the oxymoron of all oxymorons for Christian workplace believers. Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God. "Do not lean on the natural skill which you have been given. Let God manifest Himself in what you are doing," said a mentor who has learned this balance of skill and walking with God. "You must almost restrain from doing those things you know you are prone to do and actually go against them."

Ask God to teach you what it means to walk according to the power of the Holy Spirit in your business life. Develop a listening ear to the small voice inside that wants to direct your efforts by His Spirit.