“For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright” (Prov 3:32 NASU). It is human nature to want to be included into the inner circle. It means that you are qualified to hear things, experience things and be privy to information the masses are not allowed to see.

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Prov 14:23). Is there something you would like to accomplish in life but simply cannot find the hours in the day to get started? Many of us suffer from procrastination. We justify putting our dreams aside because we don’t believe we have

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

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

“But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer. . .” (Judg 3:8-9). I often receive requests to help someone whose life is in a difficult place. After a few questions I am able to discern if the Lord has called me to get involved. More often than not,

“They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which He had given their forefathers through Moses” (Judg. 3:4). There is a spiritual truth God revealed in the conquest of the Promised Land recorded in Judges chapter 3: “These are the nations the LORD left to test all

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). What measurements do you use to define your self-worth? Do you define it based on your financial assets? Is it based on what you have achieved professionally? Perhaps you define your value based on

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35-36). How do you get refueled? When our cars run low on fuel, we simply drop by the local filling station to get more fuel. When our bodies

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their

“To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit” (1 Cor 12:8). I walked out of the church parking lot after participating in a training class on hearing the voice of God. As I was talking to a friend I

“The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position” (James 1:9). Most of us avoid pain. We keep our medicine cabinets loaded with pain relievers. We couldn’t imagine major surgery without an anesthetic. We are so averse to pain that we think God must desire that we will experience pain-free lives.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Prov 29:2, NKJV). We hear a lot these days about being “politically correct.” It seems we must be sensitive to every group, no matter how that group might negatively impact our lives or violate ethical or moral

“The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law” (Mark 1:22-23). “It is not enough to simply teach; you must also impart to others,” said my mentor one day. One of the spiritual gifts God has given to me is the

“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you’” (Josh 5:9). A longtime TGIF subscriber, Bill called and asked for my help. I met him in Lake Tahoe and, over a three-hour lunch, he confided to me some of his struggles in his industry. He said that

“So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him” (1 Chron 14:17). We live in a day of self-promotion. Marketing firms are hired today to persuade others to view a person or situation in the way they want you to. There are millions of dollars spent annually by

“Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright” (Gen 25:34). Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh, he had such great potential? He never lived up to it though.” Esau was the brother of Jacob. He was a

“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by’” (1 Kings 19:11). “I don’t believe that God is in it,” I said to my friend. A situation had arisen in which another friend was about to engage in something they

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (1 Cor 12:12-13). Imagine with me for a moment that you have won a very expensive car. However, in order to receive your prize, you must