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Two by Two
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 Have you discovered yet that you are incomplete by yourself? During my “warrior” stage of life you would have been hard-pressed to convince me that I needed you or anyone else. I know few people willing to admit their
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Making Judgments
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). Have you ever made a judgment about a person or situation only to discover how wrong you were in your assessment? Such was the case in a story told
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, my word is my covenant. I never violate my word. You have learned that covenant is faithfulness in the face of unfaithfulness. To walk that out, one must willingly place “self” on the cross and live instead to benefit me and those you are called to love and stand in the gap for (Ezek
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Blessing God’s Chosen
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 Recently, a friend from London sent this personal account of an experience he had: “I was walking passed the Stock Exchange in
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, you have been thinking that your faith is too small for the mountain you are trying to move. I want you to know you are wrong. You only need faith the size of a mustard seed to take that mountain, and I can assure you that your faith is way bigger than any mustard
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How Solid is Your Foundation?
“At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of quality stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple” (1 Kings 5:16-17). Several years ago I visited Jerusalem, the ancient city in Israel where Jesus walked. It was an incredible experience. One of the most memorable things I saw was
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Angels in the Workplace
“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12 For years Sergis ran his small retail business from his store in a local shopping center. Every week a
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The Door of Full Surrender
“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 I was recently sitting with the leader of a workplace organization as he described a question he poses to workplace believers. “What if there were two doors to choose from; behind one door was
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When Others Disappoint You
“Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Tim 4:9-10). Adversity molded the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and disappointment took its toll on this
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, storms have a particular purpose in my nature and order. They bring stress upon the environment. Weak limbs yield to the wind and fall to the ground. My major storms bring down entire trees and those things that have weak foundations give way to wind and rain. In essence, storms reveal the strength of
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, there is an idol many are tempted to embrace. It is the “Feel Good” idol. Somewhere along life’s journey, my sons and daughters got the idea that if they did all the right Christian things life would work in an orderly and fulfilling way. It is true that a relationship with my Son gives
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God versus Mammon
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt 6:24 NKJV) The New Testament contains 2,084 verses dealing with money and finance. Sixteen of Jesus’ thirty-eight parables
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Being a Vessel to Bless Others
“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:24-25 One of the reasons God entrusts money to us is to bless other Christians by meeting their needs. God uses the transfer of money within
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, when my spirit comes to reside in your spirit, light dispels all the dark places of your soul. My light casts out all shadows. Shame can longer abide. Evil can no longer abide. Remember that in my Son is life, and his life was the light of men. His light shines in the darkness,
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Give Me Your Last Meal
“I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die” (1 Kings 17:12). Imagine telling a widow who was about to eat her last meal with her only son to give you a portion of that meal. That would seem
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Waiting for the Lord
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 Hearing and doing God’s will are two important steps that often get confused as one step. However, these are two distinct processes. When we hear God’s voice, this is only 50 percent of the process. The next important step
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Bad Alliances
“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not Mine, forming an alliance, but not by My Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting Me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.” Isaiah 30:1-2 Have you ever
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, I made fruit trees to bear fruit. Each tree bears fruit in its own time. For some it only requires one year, for others it may take many years. So it is with my sons and daughters. There is a time for fruit-bearing in every life. The problem is that you cannot determine when
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Your Position Is a Result of Your Actions
“Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right” (Prov 20:11). In the marketplace companies and products are known by their position in the industry they represent. Lexus and Mercedes hold the top position among luxury automobiles. They are known for their high quality. Nike is a sports
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Knowing When to Quit
“Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown” (Num 22:27-31). Have you ever wanted something so badly that your perception of the situation became distorted? We can force situations so much that we lose
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Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, many people are satisfied just to know about me when they could actually know me personally. Many are satisfied to attend their local congregations each week, but they do not know me. Knowing about me does not get one into heaven with me. Even our enemy knows about me. Job thought he knew who
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Presumption Versus Faith
“The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.” 1 Chronicles 13:10 A life of faith often requires us to leave God’s work alone. Responding to a need out of a desire to help move a vision along
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How Sharp Is Your Ax?
“If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success” (Eccl 10:10). Manufacturing companies live and die by the ability of its designers, engineers, and staff to bring new products to market quickly. Yet for many organizations, a team’s capacity to turn promising ideas into new revenue
