-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, notice how I worked among the believers in the early days after my Son returned to me in heaven.Once the Holy Spirit became a vital part of my sons and daughters, I released my power in and through them. They began to move in a high degree of unity. They operated as one people.
-
Small Things
“Who despises the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10 Life is filled with a series of small things that can amount to something big. Have you ever considered why the God of the universe came to earth and spent 33 years identifying with mankind through work? Jesus grew up as a carpenter’s son and, no
-
Being An Overcomer
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 “Why does it seem that those involved in Christian enterprise find the way so hard? It seems as though it is harder for those
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, Moses had to wait 40 years. Joseph had to wait 13 years. Naomi waited 10 years. Abraham waited for decades. And my sons of Israel had to wait 400 years. Sometimes many years pass before my hand is clearly visible. Those who move ahead of my perfect plan often birth “Ishmaels.” Abraham had to
-
Presuming Upon the Future
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov 22:7). “Do you think I should pay off my mortgage?” I said to the investment counselor. “Oh, absolutely not; you can use that money to invest and make more than what you are paying in mortgage interest. Plus, you will
-
Experiencing God in Your Business
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 The CEO walked into the president’s office after reviewing his new marketing plan for the next year. It was a well-prepared, thoughtful plan. “This will not do!” exclaimed the CEO. “This plan describes how you
-
Peace: Our Weapon Against Fear
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7). Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear is bondage. Satan wants us to live in bondage to the past and even the future, but God wants us to live in the
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, when your life is devoted to satisfying lesser desires, you begin arranging all your days for that express purpose. This leads to idolatry and a spirit of entitlement. You begin serving the god of “feel better.” Encounters with extreme pain bring you to a crossroads of choice; you are enticed with options of bitterness,
-
To Know My Ways
“That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘they shall never enter my rest’” (Heb 3:10-11). Technology is supposed to make our ability to accomplish things easier and make us
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, many of my sons and daughters have a shipwrecked faith. They view me as a Father who could do something about their situations but chooses not to. They simply believe I do nothing on their behalf. If I exist at all they think I only do the big things. That is what Naomi thought
-
Finding Meaning in Our Labor
“But I said, ‘I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.’” Isaiah 49:4 Have you ever felt like you’re spending your life using your talent for nothing? Life is often
-
Second Chances
…”I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah 4:2 Have you ever gone through a time of disobedience with God? Jonah was a prophet of God who decided he didn’t want to prophesy for the Lord. God wanted
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, when you walk through a season of pain and disappointment, I want you to enter that pain with me. Do not attempt to deaden the ache through some pleasurable thing. That is a mistake many of my sons and daughters make. It will prevent you from receiving the fruit designed to come from the
-
You Were Made to Fly
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21). Can a caterpillar fly? If you said, “No,” you would be partially correct. Actually, a caterpillar can fly, but it must have a transformation
-
Finish the Job
“When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely” (Judg 1:28-29). Have you ever hired a contractor to do some work and ended up having to spend time and energy to get him back to finish the job? The small unfinished projects simply irritate you and create
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, you are sad. I know why you are sad. Many of my greatest sons struggled with their circumstances. Consider Isaiah. He struggled to understand his very existence and purpose (Isa 49:4). All my sons and daughters have these doubts at times. I want to encourage you to do something that is contrary to what
-
Beware of the Thief
“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.” Luke 12:39 What are the times when you and I are most vulnerable to being caught off guard by the enemy of our souls? One of those
-
Expectations
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20 Have you ever had expectations that did not get fulfilled? Perhaps a coworker let you down. Perhaps
-
Gaining Direction Through a Lack of Provision
“You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kings 17:4). The prophet Elijah pronounced a drought upon the land because of the sin of Ahab and the nation of Israel. There was only one problem. Elijah had to live in the same land as Ahab. “Now
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Today is your birthday, my son. I thought of you way before you were ever born. Your name was written on a white stone in heaven. My plans for you have been established from the beginning of time (Jer 29:11). My ultimate purpose for you was not that you perform for me, but for us
-
Listening To The Father’s Heart
Son, sometimes delays are self-inflicted. You must know that my heart is always to deliver, always to bless my sons and daughters. However, it cannot be at the expense of obedience. The freedom you have in your relationship with me comes withimperative boundaries. Take my sons in Israel for example. Their journey to the Promised
-
God Delays
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17). Mary and Martha were very close to Jesus. The Bible says Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Mary was the woman who came and poured expensive perfume on Jesus and the disciples rebuked her. Lazarus, Mary and
-
A Faithful Man
“A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 28:20 There is a distinct difference between the workplace believer who operates based on living in the Promised Land versus the one who operates in Egypt. In Egypt, the workplace believer sweats and toils to generate an
