2023 March
-
Hearing the Voice of God-Even on the Job
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. . . . My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:14,27). Tom Fox is a successful financial investment manager who heads up a workplace ministry in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area. He used to
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
My son Paul learned to live in peace in the midst of storms in his life. I would have you learn this important truth.There will always be storms in your life. The difference between those who are not brought down by those storms and those who are destroyed by them is trust. Those who entrust
-
Treasures in Darkness
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” – Isaiah 45:3 “I have never been in this place before. It is new ground for me, and I find I am way
-
The Black Hole
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). On February 20, 1962, at 9:47 A.M., the spacecraft Friendship 7 rose on a pillar of fire, piloted by lone astronaut John Glenn. Leaving the coast of Florida far behind, the space capsule orbited the earth three times,
-
Living a Life of Conviction
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a Everyone lives a life of conviction. Whatever we give our greatest time, our greatest energies, and our
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, whenever I call my sons and daughters to a humanly impossible assignment, you will always find me encouraging my kids with these words: “Fear not, for I am with you.” I said this to Moses when he did not want the assignment to deliver my people from the hands of Egyptian slavery. I said
-
Thinking Big
“For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:36-37). It was 4:00 A.M. in Cape Town, South Africa, in July 2000 when businessman Graham Power was awakened by a vision from God that came in three distinct parts. In the first part of the vision, God instructed Graham to rent the 45,000-seat Newlands rugby stadium in
-
Making Adjustments
…”Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” – John 21:6 A former client of mine was the marketing director of a large food brokerage company and told me a story about one of their client grocery stores located in the upper Midwest. It seems that the store
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Wow, son, you came within seconds of destroying your computer because you thought that warning on the screen was coming from your anti-virus software when it actually WAS the virus masquerading as your protector. What a great picture of how Satan seeks to deceive my sons and daughters. He actually wants you to believe he
-
Mourning for Your City
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Neh 1:4). Nehemiah lived in the world of politics. He was a high ranking worker in the government of Babylon. His official title was cupbearer for King Artaxerxes. He would be
-
Peace-A Weapon Against Satan
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4a KJV In the battles of the workplace, your peace is actually a weapon. The workplace creates many opportunities to rob us of our peace. Cash flow concerns, deadlines, relationships –
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, I want you to understand the great sacrifice that was necessary for you to have a relationship with me. Before my Son came to earth, my priests had to prepare and kill a spotless animal, spreading its blood on the altar of my tabernacle. This sacrifice was performed once a year on behalf of
-
No Confidence in the Flesh
“If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more.” – Philippians 3:4b The apostle Paul surely could relate to the business executive. Paul reached the height of his profession only to have it completely stripped and torn from him. What he thought mattered in life became rubbish compared
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, I have been doing a new work in you. Have you noticed how easily you cry when someone describes a situation that involves my activity? That is a physical sign of your identification with me. You are being allowed to feel my heart. There was a time in your life when you could not
-
Receiving Only What God Can Give
“A man can receive only what is given him from heaven” (John 3:27). John the Baptist was in the business of bringing sinners to the place of repentance by baptizing them and teaching them about the coming Messiah. Over time, he had developed quite a customer base of disciples. Yet when the promised Messiah showed
-
Team Building
“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Building a good team is key to the success of any enterprise. Jesus chose twelve unique individuals to build His world-changing enterprise. He intentionally chose several who had similar backgroundsPeter, James, and John
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, fear is a powerful emotion. I gave that emotion to you to protect you from things that might harm you. It is good for you to fear placing your hand over a fire or stepping over a cliff. However, there are other kinds of fear that I never wanted you to experience. I never
-
David’s Source of Direction
“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.” – Psalm 143:8 David is the only person in the Bible whom God describes as a man after His own heart. Despite
-
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
-
Thinking Outside the Box
“But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do” (John 6:6). Jesus and the disciples had just crossed the Sea of Galilee and multitudes followed Him because of the miracles they saw Him do. He was about to speak to them when Jesus realized it was dinner time and
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, all of my sons and daughters will experience times of testing. Testing reveals things that cannot be known any other way. These times are not for me to discover something about you, but for you to discover something about yourself. These times are meant to reveal your true heart, showing you what needs to
-
Listening to the Father’s Heart
Son, sometimes life is lived beneath the storm clouds. Even though you cannot see the sun during the dark, overcast skies, you know it is shining above those clouds. The fact that you cannot see the sun does not change the fact that it exists and it is shining. You are benefitting from its effects
-
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, I was asked by a large organization to meet with them about doing some cooperative projects in the faith at
-
The Anguish of Faith
“Do not hide Your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.” – Psalm 143:7b Of all the biblical characters, David gives us a glimpse of a man who walked with God with great emotion in victory and in defeat. David never lost a battle throughout his many
