local Daily Devotions

[04ctd]

The Ultimate Franchise


And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business? Luke 2:49 KJV

Earth is God's business. He has set up many franchises (churches) designed to send His representatives (Body of Christ) into the world to make known the best product ever given to mankind (Jesus). His branch managers (pastors) have been given the responsibility to teach and support those in the field. God's goal is to establish a franchise in every nation, state, and city. It is the ultimate business because when you introduce someone to His product (Jesus), you receive a reward from the home office (Heaven). God has promised that His representatives will have all the tools and customer support needed to accomplish their strategic plans.

Jesus knew that He was to be about His Father's business. He knew He was sent to earth not to enjoy the pleasures of lowly man, but to accomplish a task for which He alone was sent. When He had accomplished His mission, He was to entrust this mission to other representatives into whom He poured His life for three years. This field training allowed Jesus to mentor, model, befriend, and demonstrate firsthand the model for a successful business to be launched and sustained.

God has big plans for His franchise. He wants every human being to partake of His product; however, even God knows that not everyone will. Nevertheless, this does not thwart His efforts in seeking to make it known among His audience.

You have been called to be part of the ultimate franchise. How many new recruits have you been responsible for bringing into the franchise lately?

[04ctd]

Walking in the Anointing


"So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power...." 1 Samuel 16:13

Has the Spirit of the Lord rested on your life? Can you cite the time when God's Spirit began demonstrating His power through you?

David knew the day the Spirit of the Lord began a special work in him. That Spirit was different from most leaders. Instead of seeking power and control, he led in response to a need. Instead of being a perfect person, he learned from mistakes and acknowledged them among those he led.

Instead of placing confidence in his own abilities, he sought wisdom from the only real Commander in charge. David never lost a battle through his many years of leading Israel. He failed God by sinning with Bathsheba and by numbering the troops, but he learned from those failures, and he had to pay a price for them. However, God's Spirit never left David. He never left because of David's willingness to keep a soft heart toward God, even when he failed.

God wants to do the same in you and me, but He will not allow that Spirit to rest on us if we seek to control outcomes and manipulate out of our need for power. Servant leaders know that they are only a tool in the Master's hand. They do not value themselves more than they ought. David's heart was fully the Lord's. Is your heart fully the Lord's to do with what He wills?

[04ctd]

Special Callings



"Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him." 1 Corinthians 7:17a - 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Each of us is called to relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are called by Him, to Him, and for Him. Once we enter that relationship with Christ, we are called into the physical expression of that relationship. This is where our vocations are manifested as a result, not as an end in themselves.
Additionally, there are examples of special callings in the Bible in which

individuals have a direct communication from God to do a specific task for Him. Moses, Paul, Peter, and many others had direct communication about what God was calling them to do. Not everyone receives this "special" calling.


This is not to say God is not personal with each of us. Some have had extraordinary supernatural encounters with God that led to their calling being specific to a task ordered by God. All of us have been called to follow Christ and live our lives in obedience to Him. Many of us have a sense to go in one direction or another based on our life experiences and giftedness. This, too, is God's calling.

Calling goes beyond our work and includes our relationships to others: our spouse, our children, our neighbors -- and our co-workers. We must remember this in order that our "work calling" does not become elevated at the expense of the other important aspects of our lives. This is the holistic approach to the gospel in which God made all of life equally important.

Therefore, the next time someone says, "I was called into the ministry" or "I am in full-time Christian work," stop him or her and tell him or her we are all in full-time Christian work. There is no secular and religious in the economy of God. I have a dear friend who often says, "I am a servant of the living God masquerading as a dentist." So, too, are you first a servant of the living God.

[04ctd]

Seekers of God


"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." Psalm 53:2

Are you a man or woman who is a seeker of God? The Lord delights in seeing those children of His who truly understand the meaning of life and why there is only one thing worth seeking, God Himself.

I can always tell when I have not been seeking God. The cares of this life, the urgent over the important, and the petty irritations, these are the symptoms of a life that has not been in the presence of God.

Do we understand, really understand? That is the question God raises to each of us today. If we understand, then why do we spend day after day toiling and fretting over what doesn't matter? Can we set proper boundaries in our lives that don't allow our time with Him to be continually stolen away? It is a challenge in a world that screams "activity, activity!"
Do you have a consistent time of seeking Him in your life? Are you committed to developing that intimacy with your Lord that He so desires? If not, ask Him today to help you. This is the longing of His heart. Ask Him to make it the longing of your heart. Then you will demonstrate to Him that you understand, and you will be a seeker of God.

[04ctd]

Belief or Unbelief

"...Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." - Romans 4:3

You can be a believer yet act as though there is no God. Whenever you fret over life circumstances, you immediately demonstrate unbelief. Whenever you move out of fear or anxiety, you believe a lie about God's nature.

Each day your actions affirm or convict you of your belief system. It reveals who the central focus of your life really is - you or God. It reveals who you place your ultimate trust in - you or God. It is one of the great paradoxes for believers. One day we can believe Him to move mountains.

The next day we can question His very existence.
?ÀPeter believed God and walked on water.
?ÀA sick woman touched the hem of His garment and was healed.
?ÀA Canaanite woman believed and freed her daughter from demon-possession.

In what circumstances do you act as an "unbeliever"? Ask God to increase your level of trust so that your actions match up with one who believes every day

[04ctd]

Preparation for Greatness


"He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze." - 2 Samuel 22:35

David was a mighty warrior, and God described him as a man after His own heart. God took David through a training ground that could be looked on as cruel and unusual punishment by many a person. God chose him at a young age to be the next king, yet King Saul rejected him and hunted him down.

David was a fugitive for many years. He had uprisings in his own family, and he had relationship problems. He had a life of extreme ups and downs. He certainly did not have a life free of problems; he made mistakes. He was human like all of us, yet he learned from his mistakes and repented when he failed. This was David's training ground; it made the man. Without these hardships, it is doubtful David would have accomplished what he did.

Toward the end of David's life, he recounted his relationship with God. It is a sermon on God's ways of dealing with a servant leader.

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me Your shield of victory; You stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn (2 Samuel 22:33-37).

God was David's source for everything. God gave him the ability to achieve the many extraordinary things in his life. It was a lifelong training ground that moved him from one plateau to another, often dropping into a ravine of despair and hopelessness from time to time.

These are God's ways. They drive us deeper and deeper into the heart of Him who has prepared a way for us. Let God take you to the heights or depths He desires for you. He never promised smooth sailing during the trip, but He did promise to be the captain and companion along the way.

[04ctd]

How God Builds Your Faith: Difficulty
by Rick Warren



"This means tremendous joy to you, I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accidentÔÇöit happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold" (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH).

In order to build your faith, God will give you a dream, then He'll urge you to make a decision, but then He'll allow a delay, because in the delay He matures you and prepares you for what is to come.

The truth is you'll have difficulties while God delays. This isn't because He doesn't care about you or that He's forgotten your circumstances; rather, it's one of the ways He pushes you toward the deep end of faith.

As God delays, you'll face two types of difficulties: circumstances and critics. This is a natural part of life. God designed it this way because He knows we grow stronger when facing adversity and opposition.

When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt into the desert toward the Promised Land, he had one problem after another. First there was no water. Then there was no food. Then there were a bunch of complainers. Then there were poisonous snakes. Moses was doing what God wanted him to do, but he still had problems.

David was anointed king, and then for the next several years he was hunted down by Saul. Joseph had a dream of becoming a ruler, yet he was sold into slavery and thrown into prison on a false charge where he languished, forgotten. Imagine the difficulties Noah had building a floating zoo!

The Bible says that when Moses died, Joshua was appointed the new leader. Moses led the people across the desert and then Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Did he get the easy part? The Bible says that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land there were giants in the land. Even in the Promised Land there were problems!

God does this because He is building our faith and character. When we finally come to a place where the difficulties become so bad, where we've reached our limit, where we've tried everything and exhausted all our options, it is then that God begins a mighty work through us: "I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accidentÔÇöit happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold" (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH).

[04ctd]

Jesus Was A Workplace Minister

"Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him (Mark 6:3).

In 2005, a movie entitled The Passion was released that chronicled the last twenty-four hours of Jesus' life. During a flashback scene, Jesus was seen in his carpentry shop making a table with his mother standing by playfully observing.

It was a very beautiful scene that reminds us that Jesus was a carpenter for most of his adult life. In fact, Jesus was more qualified to be a carpenter than the Son of God in the eyes of the people because that is the history they knew of this young working class man from Nazareth.

Consider that in the New Testament of Jesus' 132 public appearances, 122 were in the marketplace Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of 40 miracles in the book of Acts, 39 were in the marketplace.

Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter until age 30 before he went into a preaching ministry in the workplace. And, 54% of Jesus' reported teaching ministry arose out of issues posed by others in the scope of daily life experience. Saint Bonaventure said, "His doing nothing 'wonderful' (his first 30-years) was in itself a kind of wonder."

Work, in its different forms, is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible -more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise, and singing combined. God created work and He is a worker. "My father is always at his work to this very day, and I too, am working" (John 5:17).

So, the next time you are tempted to minimize your daily work as anything less than a holy calling, remember that Jesus was a workplace minister as a carpenter in his community. He has called you and I to reflect His glory in our work.

[04ctd]

Keep Running for Jesus


Hebrews 12:1 - 2 ÔÇ£Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

My middle daughter, when she was young, while running on concrete, fell skinning her knees and elbow. This is something that she has done before while running on concrete. Now someone might say, "Hey, just tell her to stop running on concrete!" Sure, that will work! Then the next time that she is using a stapler and she smashes her finger or sticks a staple in her finger, does she stop using a stapler? There will always be something that we do or use that can cause injury.

Many people today are looking for a Christian walk where there is no suffering. Maybe in times past, they were persecuted for their walk, their belief or their stand on the doctrine. So what does one do, stop standing right, or stop witnessing for Christ, throw their King James Bible away? No, understand, even in persecution, there is Joy in serving the Lord and you or I, should never ever turn back on the Lord.

My daughter had two very nasty looking, injured knees and elbow, but soon as she healed up, she did AGAIN run. Yes, she did once again run on Concrete, and maybe she will again fall and be injured, but SHE MUST NOT STOP RUNNING as we also must keep running for Jesus.

Just as my daughter's injuries took time to heal, but they did heal. Oh there may be scars, but those scars will only be a reminder when she looks at them.

Until the Rapture of the Church, WE MUST keep singing, shouting, preaching, witnessing for the Lord.

[04ctd]

Will You Enter


"Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." Numbers 20:11a

Will you fulfill the destiny God has for your life? Perhaps you have never thought about it. God had a perfect plan for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. It's been said the hardest place to score a touchdown is from the goal line. You're almost there. But there is something about crossing over that makes those last few yards the most difficult. Moses failed at the goal line, and it prevented him from finishing well a glorious life of service for God.

The people of Israel were complaining that they did not have water to drink. It was another of many tests for Israel. Moses inquired of God and God said, "...Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Numbers 20:8a). Moses, in his frustration and anger with the people, began to act on his own and made a strategic mistake. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with his staff. In spite of his disobedience, the rock poured forth water.

God was calling Moses to a different dimension. Moses was to use his words to speak the miracle. However, he not only lost his temper, but he also took credit and dishonored God. He used his staff, the symbol of his work life as a shepherd, to force the provision.

When we become callous, we can use our skills and abilities to force what we believe should happen. We take control. When we do this, we are in danger of failing to enter the Promised Land of blessing from God. Living in life's spiritual dimension requires patience and obedience. Beware of solving problems in your own strength. God wants to bring you into the Promised Land of His blessing. But it will require walking in the spiritual dimension.

[04ctd]

How God Uses Pain


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

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

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

I have observed this process in the scriptures in working with people through the years. I have noticed three distinct stages.

First, we live based on convenience. Our obedience is largely based on circumstances in our lives. We choose to obey based on the circumstances.

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

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

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

[04ctd]

SIN
Genesis 3: 7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."

I have always said that this verse is the clear evidence of the beginning of manmade religion. Adam and Eve put on themselves, fig leaves to COVER their sin. No one had to tell Adam and Eve that they had sinned, they KNEW IT! No one had to tell them the severity of their sin, THEY KNEW IT.

Today, mankind has used a church building, a denomination, a certain type of clothes they wear to HIDE their sin. Mankind has also explained away the severity of their sin by saying "NO ONE IS PERFECT."

From the very first transgression of God's way to today's transgression, SIN is just as severe. Sin is an awful thing and it is the one thing that will send a person to hell. Yes, Sin is that bad.

What are you hiding? Adam knew God, Adam knew that God is Omnipresent, Omniscient and yet he still tried to hide from God. Mankind today everywhere is doing the same thing. WHY? God knows and HE can see everybody and everything that they are doing. He knows every word that comes from your mouth, and, HE knows every thought that is generated in your mind.

The blood of Jesus is the only thing that can hide sin from a Holy God. The Blood of Christ is the only Atonement for Sin. God's way is not a cover up; it is a complete wash away!

[04ctd]

Living a Fully Integrated, Balanced Life

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. (Ezra 7:10)

Have you noticed lately what an amazing sense of humor our God has? Todays example: Doesnt it seem that - just as you are ready to get behind your pulpit and expound on some incredibly important truth  truth upon which you believe you have divine insight  He will take you aside, stand you in front of a full-length mirror and, with a twinkle in His eye, say, What were you about to say,? And there you stand  and you can see the truth alright, but the model of that truth that you see in the mirror certainly doesnt match that divine insight that seemed so important a moment ago.

God has just reminded me why He confirmed Ezra 7:10 as the second of my life verses. Do you remember Ezra 7:10? ÔÇ£For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.ÔÇØ Notice the four key issues here:

ÔÇó Set your heart (I used to pass right over this one, until my friend clarified that the rest only makes sense if this happened first) ÔÇô you and I have to be committed to this

ÔÇó Study ÔÇô If I donÔÇÖt KNOW what God says, how can I live a life that honors Him?

ÔÇó Practice ÔÇô If I donÔÇÖt DO what I KNOW God says to do, why should anyone respond to what I say?

ÔÇó Teach ÔÇô Once I KNOW ÔÇô not just superficially, but intimately KNOW - what God says, and IÔÇÖve experienced the joy of PRACTICING / DOING what I KNOW, then I have the privilege of sharing that with others.

God clearly intends that we include Him in every part of life  that there are no compartments where He is not welcome. That may be more difficult in the DOING, but that is not because we dont KNOW what to do.

[04ctd]

this seems the same as the other one, but is a bit different.
must be trying to drive home a point
--------------------------------------------------


From Pain to Destiny


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-5).

God often allows pain to ignite destiny in our lives. Without motivation, many of us would never fulfill the purposes for which God created us. Oftentimes a measured assault invades our life and creates a depth of pain that all we know to do is press into God with all our being.

At first, our motivation is to alleviate the pain. After a season of extreme emotional and sometimes physical pain, a second phase begins. This phase moves us to discover a new and deeper relationship with God. We begin to discover things about ourselves and about God that we never would have discovered without this motivation. Gradually, our heart changes our motivation from pain to loving obedience because there is a transition of the heart that takes place. No longer do we seek God for deliverance from the pain; we seek God because He is God. We seek His face and not His hand.

When we move to the second phase we often find ourselves moving into a new destiny and calling for our lives because God often separates us from the old life in this process. No doubt Joseph and Peter felt the pain of their individual crises.

However, later they could realize God's purposes in their crisis. Like Joseph, we are able to say, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."

Today let God move you from the place of pain to the place of destiny. Let God show you the secret things He has reserved for you as a result of the crisis you may find yourself in.

[04ctd]

sorry for not updating these, changed jobs & do not take my personal laptop
was out cutting bait recently, just got back...

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:


“They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”[d]

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

Behold Your Mother

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

It Is Finished

28 After this, Jesus, knowing[e] that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.


https://www.biblegateway.com/passage...9&version=NKJV

[04ctd]

Do Not Reach for the Power


"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3).

A few years ago, a friend was asked by a large organization to meet with them about doing some cooperative projects in the faith at work area. He visited their headquarters and had several initial discussions. They concluded that they would proceed on a joint conference.

During his visit, he stayed overnight at the headquarters of this ministry. He was awakened at 5 A.M. and led to read Exodus 33:15. Moses said he could not go any further if God did not promise that His presence would go with him. He sensed this was to be their theme for the conference.

Later that morning, he shared that he had received this leading from the Lord regarding the theme of the conference with some of the people in the organization. However, when he shared this with the leader of the organization, he did not take it seriously. He was a bit irritated and his pride was hurt, but he decided to follow a principle that he had been walking in for a few years: act like you have the authority, but do not reach for the power. He realized that if God had truly spoken His words into his heart, he would not have to exercise his authority to make it happen. God would orchestrate it.

More discussion was given to the theme, but nothing was resolved. A few hours later, the conference theme came up again. He turned to a friend and read Exodus 33:15 aloud, and he got excited about using that verse as the possible theme of the event. The leader, to his amazement, chimed in as well and said, "Yes, that should be the theme of the conference." It was a big lesson for him.

Act like you have the authority, but do not reach for the power.

[04ctd]

They Are Always Watching and Listening

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25-26).

It didn't take long for non-believers to realize I was different in the secular workplaces where I've worked. I didn't participate in the jokes, the dirty language, or criticism of management. I didn't judge them for their behavior because they were merely acting the way they should act as one who does not have Christ in their life. I viewed them as prisoners awaiting their salvation and that I might be the instrument to lead them to my Savior.

I would often be known as the "religious guy." It wasn't because I was particularly vocal or I tried to separate myself; it happened naturally. The Christ in me naturally made me stand out. Jesus called us to be the "salt and light" of any life situation. The secular workplace economy is contrary to the Kingdom of God economy so we should naturally stand out in any situation.

When Paul and Silas were in prison their lifestyle of worship and prayer in the midst of the horrible conditions of a dirty prison stood out in stark contrast to their circumstances. They didn't pray and sing to impress their cellmates; they simply did what was natural to them. Still, "the other prisoners were watching and listening."

No matter where you are, others are watching you to determine if your faith is real or if you're an imposter. The world is looking to discredit your faith. You are a witness always whether you choose to be or not

"The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'" (Acts 16:29-30). When you begin to reflect the love and power of Christ in your life you won't have to have an evangelism program to win others into the Kingdom. It will be a fruit of your life. The "fish" will actually jump into the boat!

Beware how you conduct your life today. Because the prisoners are watching and listening.

[04ctd]

You Need Power

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

D.L. Moody was a shoe salesman until God moved him into a full-time preaching ministry, often in the streets of Chicago. There came a point in his journey with God that he realized he needed more in his life than what he was experiencing. "At the close of the Sabbath evening services I remember two holy women they would say to me, 'We have been praying for you.' I said, 'Why don't you pray for the people?' They answered, 'You need power.'

'I need power?' I said to myself. Why, I thought I had power. I had a large Sabbath school and the largest congregation in Chicago. I was in a sense satisfied. But then came these two godly women who prayed for me and their earnest talk about "the anointing for special service" set me thinking. I asked them to come and talk with me, and we got down on our knees.

They poured out their hearts, that I might receive the anointing of the Holy Ghost. And there came a great hunger into my soul. I knew not what it was. I began to cry as I never did before. The hunger increased. I really felt that I did no want to live any longer if I could not have this power for service. I kept on crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit.

Well, one day, in the city of New York - Oh, what a day! I cannot describe it; I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to me. Paul had an experience that he never spoke for fourteen years. I can only say, God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to say His hand.

I went to preaching again. The sermons were no different; I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you would give me all Glasgow.*


*Elmer Towns, Understanding the Deeper Life, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1984, pp. 224, 225

[04ctd]

When His Work Exceeds His Presence


"If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15).

One of the great dangers in Christian service is to move from a presence-based work to operate purely on our natural skill. Once we become established in something, the daily maintenance can lead us into complacency until a crisis arises that forces us back to our knees to appeal to the Lord for His presence to return.

Things were going well for Moses as he led the people out of Egypt. God was calling him to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, to receive the Ten Commandments. While he was there, the people fell away from the Lord by returning to the ways of Egypt by building and worshipping a golden calf under Aaron's watch.

This revealed that the spiritual foundation of the people and the leadership of Aaron had not been grounded enough for the leader to have an extended absence. God's presence had left the people. If you are in management, you must know the condition of your team to know how long you can be away from hands-on leadership.

When Moses came back and saw what had happened, he recognized the solution as well. Having God's presence return was the only way they could proceed and have success.

"How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" (Exodus 33:16).

Moses also realized a weakness in his own ability to lead. He pleaded God to mentor him: "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you."

Is the presence of God in your current activities? Are the people you lead mature in their faith that allows you to be off site? Ask for God's help on both counts.

[04ctd]

Developing Our Heart for God


"I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword." - Zechariah 9:13b

In the third and fourth centuries followers of Socratic teaching and other Greek scholars began to influence the Church in ways that were different from the Hebraic roots of the early Church. The Greek influence appeals more to the intellect, whereas the early-Church Hebraic model appealed to the heart. The Greek influence resulted in more emphasis on oratory skills and cognitive knowledge of God. Over the many centuries, this influence has shown itself in a more programmatic approach to the gospel rather than a process of living out our faith. So why is it important for us to understand this?

I realized in my own life that I was a product of this Greek system. My walk with Christ focused more on what I knew rather than on an intimate and powerful walk with God. Knowledge without power to express the life within is of little value. The more programmatic the focus, the less emphasis we place on building deep and caring relationships that result in changed lives. Our early Church fathers knew there was a cost to living out the Word of God, not simply giving mental assent to it.

Are you walking with God today in an intimate fellowship? Or, are you only involved in programs and activities designed to do good things? Reflect on Proverbs 23:12: "Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge." We must listen and respond with the heart. Whatever service we give to God should be a result of our relationship with our heavenly Father, not an end unto itself.