Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 22, 2009

Casting Shadows
READ: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
No flesh should glory in His presence. -1 Corinthians 1:29

Legend has it that Michelangelo painted with a brush in one hand and a candle in the other to prevent his shadow from covering his masterpiece in progress.

That's the kind of attitude we should adopt if we are serious about wanting to display the masterpiece of God's glory on the canvas of our lives. Unfortunately, we tend to live in a way that draws attention to ourselves-our cars, our clothes, our careers, our position, our cleverness, our success. And when life is all about us, it's hard for people to see Jesus in us. Jesus saved us to be reflections of His glory (Rom. 8:29), but when we live for ourselves, our shadow gets cast on the canvas of His presence in us.

When the believers in Corinth were feeling too full of themselves, Paul warned them "that no flesh should glory [boast] in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:29), and reminded them of what Jeremiah said, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (v.31; Jer. 9:24).

Think of your life as a canvas on which a picture is being painted. What would you rather have people see: the masterpiece of the presence of Jesus or the shadow of your own profile? Don't get in the way of a great painting in progress. Live to let others see Jesus in you.  - Joe Stowell

My life is a painting created by God,
And as such I've nothing to boast;
Reflecting the image of Christ to the world
Is what I desire the most. -Sper


A Christian's life is the canvas on which others can see Jesus.

Stepping Up to God's Call

Has God ever called you to a difficult task? Maybe you were led to witness to a friend or family member who was resistant to the Gospel. Or perhaps God wanted you to lead a Bible study or small group. How did you feel? Were you frightened, nervous, hesitant-or all of the above? God knows that our human emotions can sometimes hold us back, and that is why our Great Provider gives us all the encouragement we need to do His work.

God will not give us an assignment and then just walk away to let us do the work alone. He provides the resources we need to get the job done. He walks with us every step of the way, guiding us and encouraging us. He will never abandon us when we allow Him to work through us. In the words of the psalmist, "You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel" (Psalm 73:23-24).

Read Joshua 1. In this passage, we see God encouraging Joshua just before he is about to cross the raging Jordan River into the Promised Land. As the new leader of the Israelites, Joshua was in need of some encouragement. Not just once, but three times, God strengthens Joshua.

First, God gave an encouraging promise to Joshua: "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them" (Joshua 1:6).

Joshua knew he would ultimately have victory because God promised the end result. When God makes a promise, we can be fully confident that He will never fail us. We can find comfort and strength in the promises of God: "I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil" (Psalm 119:162). When we trust in the promises of God, we will have confidence to overcome any worry about the obstacles, rejections, or critics we will face.

After the promise, God encouraged Joshua through His Word: "Be strong and very courageous. ... Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:7, .

True prosperity and success come from holding tenaciously to the Word of God. This doesn't mean we won't face setbacks or opposition in our work for the Lord. It doesn't mean that every person we share the Gospel with will want to listen. But ultimately we will be on the right path when we follow God's Word. As Scripture says: "Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble" (Psalm 119:165).

The third encouragement for Joshua came from the presence of God. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

Even more than God's promises or His written Word, we have the presence of God. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). When we make our relationship with God a daily priority, when we consistently seek and listen to His voice, when we trust in Him moment by moment, then God will give us the victory.

What witnessing opportunity has God called you to today? Is it your neighbor with the hardened heart? Or the colleague who thinks he doesn't need faith? What about the friend who is skeptical of a Creator? Write the name of that person below. Then write how God's promises, Word, and presence will lead you through the task.

***

Don't be tempted to toss in the towel and give up running the race.  Shore up your confidence in God, today.  Michael Youssef explores this topic in our free resource this month-"Don't Lose Your Confidence." Download it today.

By Passionately Proclaiming Uncompromising Truth, Leading The Way is revolutionizing lives at home and around the world. Discover more at www.leadingtheway.org.

Team Building
By Os Hillman

"...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:.

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 backgrounds-Peter, James, and John were fisherman. Matthew and Simon the Zealot came from opposing political views. Matthew came from an industry considered corrupt-he was a tax collector. It is clear Jesus chose those who had a skill set first, then changed the character of the individual. He mentored each one.

A good team needs to have team members with different viewpoints as well as those who are specialists in a particular area. It is noteworthy that Jesus chose someone expertise in handling money. Taking a team of twelve around the country required money and the ability to manage it. I'm sure Jesus spent a great deal of time with Matthew mentoring him on the proper use of money. He had to reshape his thinking about money.

Once the team was formed Jesus spent time molding His team into a cohesive unit to operate in unity. He corrected them when correction was needed. He taught them what it meant to love one another. He washed their feet. He taught and modeled servant leadership. Before you put a team together sit down and make a list of the skills you want represented on your team. Then recruit and invest spiritually into your team. Who knows, your team might just change the world, too!

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
Secrets of the Kingdom Economy

You and I are living in the days of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about when he taught us to pray by saying "Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done!" The Kingdom is here. When we function by the principles of this Kingdom in our day to day lives, we will function on a higher level of anointing and productivity. Living in this Kingdom means living by the principles of the Kingdom Economy. In this book, discover secrets that will cause you to flourish in this Kingdom Economy. These secrets will move you from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Also available as an eBook or as an audio book.
Click to Order or Learn More 

The Burning Heart
Did not our heart burn within us . . . ? -Luke 24:32
We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart- a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart- unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of the distress we experience as Christians comes not as the result of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test we should use to determine whether or not to allow a particular emotion to run its course in our lives is to examine what the final outcome of that emotion will be. Think it through to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something that God would condemn, put a stop to it immediately. But if it is an emotion that has been kindled by the Spirit of God and you don't allow it to have its way in your life, it will cause a reaction on a lower level than God intended. That is the way unrealistic and overly emotional people are made. And the higher the emotion, the deeper the level of corruption, if it is not exercised on its intended level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the "mount of transfiguration," basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark 9:1-9 ). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.

We cannot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides, The spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides; But tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 23, 2009

Crazy Horse
READ: 1 Samuel 7:3-12
Samuel took a stone . . . and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." -1 Samuel 7:12

In 1876, the Sioux leader Crazy Horse joined forces with Sitting Bull to defeat General Custer and his army at Little Bighorn. Not much later, though, starvation caused Crazy Horse to surrender to US troops. He was killed while trying to escape. Despite this sad conclusion to his life, he became a symbol of heroic leadership of a threatened people.

Today in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he is commemorated with a monument being carved into a mountain-the Crazy Horse Memorial. When complete, it will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high. It will show Crazy Horse riding a galloping horse, pointing the way to his people.

Thousands of years ago, the prophet Samuel used a much smaller memorial stone in a significant way. In the midst of a crucial battle with the Philistines, Samuel called out to God on Israel's behalf. The Lord answered his prayer (1 Sam. 7:10). In gratitude, Samuel set up a stone "and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us'" (v.12).

Samuel has set an example for our spiritual journey. We too can use tangible reminders of God's faithfulness to help us worship and serve Him. It's good to remember "thus far the Lord has helped us."  - Dennis Fisher

Putting It Into Practice
  *  Keep a spiritual journal and record God's blessings.
  *  Write answers to prayer in your journal.
  *  Tell a friend what God has done in your life.


Gratitude is the memory of a glad heart.

No Worries

I trust that these words from Isaiah will encourage you today.  Read carefully what God has to say,

"I, even I, am He who comforts you.  Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?  And you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he has prepared to destroy.  And where is the fury of the oppressor?... But I am the LORD your God, who divided the sea whose waves roared-the LORD of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 51:12-13 and 15).

God spans the heavens with the palm of His hand.  The nations are as a drop in the bucket before Him.  There is nothing too hard for Him, and nothing He cannot do.

A number of years ago, I had the chance to go elk hunting with a friend in Montana.  We were lying outside under the stars, and I was unprepared for the glory I saw.  I have never seen so many stars in my life!  It took my breath away!

As we lay there, I said, "You know what?  God spans the heavens with His hand, and you and I are worried about paying the rent!"  It was just one of those moments.  We both just cracked up at how ridiculous it was to worry when God was so big.

What are you worrying about today?  Whatever it is, place it into God's hands.  After all, His hand spans the entire universe! 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

Receiving Only What God Can Give
By Os Hillman

"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 up-the fulfillment of John's business plan-true to form, his coworkers (or disciples) went to John to complain that the one he had testified about was stealing all of his customers. "Rabbi," they said, "that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan . . . well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him" (John 3:26). John's response showed clearly he understood his purpose and role in life in the above verse.

John understood that we receive by understanding our purpose and what God desires us to receive in light of our purpose. We need not worry about what others receive, only if we are receiving what God wants us to receive. Many of us try to receive things God never intended us to receive or be someone God never intended us to be.

A story is told about F. B. Meyer, the great Bible teacher and pastor who lived a century ago. He was pastoring a church when he began to notice that attendance was dropping. This continued until he finally asked some members of his congregation one Sunday morning why they thought this was happening. A member suggested, "It is because of the new church down the road. The young preacher has everyone talking and many are going to hear him speak." The young preacher's name was Charles Spurgeon.

Meyer, rather than seeking to discourage this development, exhorted his entire congregation to join him and go participate in seeing this "move of God," as he described it to them. "If this be happening, then God must be at work." Meyer, like John the Baptist, understood the principle of receiving from God and was not threatened by the new competition in town. Instead, he joined it.

Do you model a Kingdom mindset? Do you rejoice when others succeed? Are you receiving only what God desires you to receive?

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
Secrets of the Kingdom Economy

You and I are living in the days of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about when he taught us to pray by saying "Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done!" The Kingdom is here. When we function by the principles of this Kingdom in our day to day lives, we will function on a higher level of anointing and productivity. Living in this Kingdom means living by the principles of the Kingdom Economy. In this book, discover secrets that will cause you to flourish in this Kingdom Economy. These secrets will move you from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Also available as an eBook or as an audio book.
Click to Order or Learn More 

Am I Carnally Minded?
Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal . . . ? -1 Corinthians 3:3
The natural man, or unbeliever, knows nothing about carnality. The desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit warring against the flesh, which began at rebirth, are what produce carnality and the awareness of it. But Paul said, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" ( Galatians 5:16  ). In other words, carnality will disappear.

Are you quarrelsome and easily upset over small things? Do you think that no one who is a Christian is ever like that? Paul said they are, and he connected these attitudes with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens a spirit of malice or resentment in you? If so, that is proof that you are still carnal. If the process of sanctification is continuing in your life, there will be no trace of that kind of spirit remaining.

If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn't ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, "Oh, I can explain that." When the light shines and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.

What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it-it is the most real thing you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical test. You will find yourself saying, "If this had happened before, I would have had the spirit of resentment!" And you will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 24, 2009

Ordinary Days
READ: Luke 2:8-20
Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. -Luke 2:9

Writer Anita Brechbill observed in God's Revivalist magazine that "Most often the Word of the Lord comes to a soul in the ordinary duties of life." She cites the examples of Zacharias performing his duties as a priest, and the shepherds watching their flocks. They were at work as usual with no idea that they were about to receive a message from God.

Luke describes the ordinary days when these men received their message from God: "While [Zacharias] was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, . . . an angel of the Lord appeared to him" (1:8,11). While the shepherds were "living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night . . . an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them" (2:8-9).

Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest said: "Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord's surprise visits."

On this ordinary day, the Lord may have a word of encouragement, guidance, or instruction for us, if we're listening and ready to obey.  - David C. McCasland

I wonder what I did for God today:
How many times did I once pause and pray?
But I must find and serve Him in these ways,
For life is made of ordinary days. -Macbeth

God speaks to those who are quiet before Him

Your New Nature

As human beings, we are constantly confronted with opportunities to fear.  People have fears concerning their health, their finances, terrorism, relationships, their jobs...the list is almost endless.

I want to challenge you with a thought today, and it is simply this:  Realize who you are.  If you are born again, you are a new creature in Christ Jesus, and it is not in your nature to be afraid.

Consider what the Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7,

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Which points to our problem with fear.  We listen to our heads, and we listen to our flesh, rather than listening to our spirit.  As a result, our lives can be overwhelmed with fear.

I want to challenge you today to listen to your spirit instead of your head.  The real you on the inside is made after the image of God.  Once you realize who you are and what you are made of, it will help deliver you from fear.  Consider these verses that talk about the real you:

·        Ephesians 4:24, And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

·        2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

When you understand your true nature, that you are made after the image of God, you will know freedom from fear. 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

Mourning for Your City
By Os Hillman

"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 Artazerzes. He would be considered the modern-day U.S. Secret Service agent who made sure the King was safe from being poisoned.
Judah had been driven into exile and some of his friends had just returned with news about his fellow brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire" (Neh 1:1-3).

Nehemiah's response upon hearing the news is the kind of response that is necessary for a Christian leader to impact his or her city. He responded by weeping for the condition of his beloved city. He immediately went into prayer and asked for God's direction on how he could be a positive impact on his city. He developed a strategy to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. He accomplished the task in only fifty-two days.

Do you weep for your city? God is calling forth men and women from the marketplace today to be catalyst to impact their cities. Begin today to pray for your city and ask God how you can be a catalyst to rebuild the spiritual wall of your city.

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
Secrets of the Kingdom Economy

You and I are living in the days of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about when he taught us to pray by saying "Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done!" The Kingdom is here. When we function by the principles of this Kingdom in our day to day lives, we will function on a higher level of anointing and productivity. Living in this Kingdom means living by the principles of the Kingdom Economy. In this book, discover secrets that will cause you to flourish in this Kingdom Economy. These secrets will move you from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Also available as an eBook or as an audio book.
Click to Order or Learn More 

Decreasing for His Purpose
He must increase, but I must decrease -John 3:30

If you become a necessity to someone else's life, you are out of God's will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a "friend of the bridegroom" (John 3:29  ). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been used in the right direction. And when you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don't try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to be amateur providences in someone's life. We are indeed amateurs, coming in and actually preventing God's will and saying, "This person should not have to experience this difficulty." Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, our sympathy gets in the way. One day that person will say to us, "You are a thief; you stole my desire to follow Jesus, and because of you I lost sight of Him."

Beware of rejoicing with someone over the wrong thing, but always look to rejoice over the right thing. ". . . the friend of the bridegroom . . . rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease" ( John 3:29-30  ). This was spoken with joy, not with sadness-at last they were to see the Bridegroom! And John said this was his joy. It represents a stepping aside, an absolute removal of the servant, never to be thought of again.

Listen intently with your entire being until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another person. And never give any thought to what devastation, difficulties, or sickness it will bring. Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard. You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it (see Matthew 10:34  ).

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 25, 2009

In All Kinds Of Weather
READ: Acts 18:9-11
Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:20

When Jesus sent His disciples out, He gave them this promise: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). Literally, the word always means "all the days," according to Greek scholars Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown.

Jesus didn't simply say, "always," but "all the days." That takes into account all our various activities, the good and bad circumstances surrounding us, the varied responsibilities we have through the course of our days, the storm clouds and the sunshine.

Our Lord is present with us no matter what each day brings. It may be a day of joy or of sadness, of sickness or of health, of success or of failure. No matter what happens to us today, our Lord is walking beside us, strengthening us, loving us, filling us with faith, hope, and love. As He envelops us with quiet serenity and security, our foes, fears, afflictions, and doubts begin to recede. We can bear up in any setting and circumstance because we know the Lord is at hand, just as He told Paul in Acts 18:10, "I am with you."

Practice God's presence, stopping in the midst of your busy day to say to yourself, "The Lord is here." And pray that you will see Him who is invisible-and see Him everywhere.  - David H. Roper

God's unseen presence comforts me,
I know He's always near;
And when life's storms besiege my soul,
He says, "My child, I'm here." -D. De Haan


Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. -Isaiah 55:6

He Has Said, So We May Say

In our last few devotionals, we have been talking about fear, and how to be free from it.  Today, I want to give you a final thought to consider on fear.  It is based on Hebrews 13:5-6,

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.  For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  So we may boldly say:  "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"

I want you to notice what the Bible says,  He Himself has said...So we may boldly say.  God says something, so you can say something.

What does God say?  He says He will never leave you.  He says He will never forsake you.  As a result you can say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"

When you understand that God will never leave you or forsake you, you can live without fear.  And that freedom from fear will be reflected in both your actions and in your speech.

What are you facing today?  Would you be afraid if God was standing beside you saying, "It's alright.  I am here"?  Well He is with you!  He said He would never leave you or abandon you!  You may not see or feel Him, but He is with you-now and always.

It is time to start acting and speaking like you believe it.

Boldly say, "The Lord is helping me!  I will not fear!" 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

Thinking Big
By Os Hillman

"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 Cape Town for a day of repentance and prayer for that city. In the second part of the vision, he saw the prayer movement spreading to the rest of South Africa for a national day of prayer. In the final part of the vision, he saw the prayer effort spread to cover the rest of the continent.

It was only thirty days earlier that a man named Gunnar Olson stood in front of a podium at the conclusion of a marketplace conference in Johannesburg, South Africa and proclaimed Isaiah 60 which said to "Arise and shine" over the continent of Africa and that God was going to use Africa to bless the nations.

Graham was obedient to the vision, and on March 21, 2001, a capacity crowd gathered in the Newlands rugby stadium for prayer and repentance. Soon after, a notorious gangster in the city was saved. News of the first gathering spread quickly, and in 2002, eight cities in South Africa hosted a day of prayer. Leading up to the event, young people from all over the country took part in a "walk of hope" from Bloemfontein to the eight stadiums where the prayer meetings were to be held. The events were broadcast on television.

By June 2006, what began as Transformation Africa became the Global Day of Prayer with participation from 200 nations from seven continents around the world. And this prayer movement is still growing.

It all started from the obedience of one businessman. What might God want to do through your life? It begins with being obedient to the small things and exercising your faith to believe God can do it. Our part is obedience. His part is outcome.

Contact Os Hillman www.marketplaceleaders.org.                           

           
           
            Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
                               Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
                     
You and I are living in the days of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about when he taught us to pray by saying "Thy Kingdom come!  Thy will be done!"  The Kingdom is here.  When we function by the principles of this Kingdom in our day to day lives, we will function on a higher level of anointing and productivity.  Living in this Kingdom means living by the principles of the Kingdom Economy.  In this book, discover secrets that will cause you to flourish in this Kingdom Economy.  These secrets will move you from the ordinary to the extraordinary.  Also available as an eBook or as an audio book.
           
Maintaining the Proper Relationship
. . . the friend of the bridegroom . . . -John 3:29
Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Others will be left with this thought- "What a fine person that man is!" That is not being a true "friend of the bridegroom"- I am increasing all the time; He is not.

To maintain this friendship and faithfulness to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to Him above everything else, including obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. Only occasionally is it a matter of obedience. At those times when a crisis arises, we have to find out what God's will is. Yet most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship- being the "friend of the bridegroom." Christian work can actually be a means of diverting a person's focus away from Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends "of the bridegroom," we may become amateur providences of God to someone else, working against Him while we use His weapons.

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 26, 2009

Faithfulness In Everything
READ: Colossians 3:12-17
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. -Colossians 3:17
In August 2007, a major bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people. In the weeks that followed, it was difficult for me not to think about that tragedy whenever crossing a bridge over a body of water.

Some time later, I was watching an episode of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel. Host Mike Rowe was talking to an industrial painter whose work he was trying to duplicate. "There's really no glory in what you do," he said. "No," the painter agreed, "but it's a job that needs to be done."

You see, that man paints the inside of the Mackinac Bridge towers in Northern Michigan. His unnoticed job is done to ensure that the steel of the magnificent suspended structure won't rust from the inside out, compromising the integrity of the bridge. Most of the 12,000 people who cross the Straits of Mackinac each day aren't even aware that they are depending on workers like this painter to faithfully do their jobs well.

God also sees our faithfulness in the things we do. Though we may think our deeds-big and small-sometimes go un-noticed, they are being observed by the One who matters most. Whatever our task today, let's "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col. 3:17).  - Cindy Hess Kasper

Whatever task you find to do,
Regardless if it's big or small,
Perform it well, with all your might,
Because there's One who sees it all. -Sper


Daily work takes on eternal value when it is done for God.


 

Life's Proper Focus

Read Luke 12:16-21,

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

This parable really helps us bring life into the right perspective.  The rich man in this story failed to do three things.

He failed to realize that he was only a steward and not the owner of his goods.
He failed to have an eternal perspective.
He failed to consider how brief this earthly life can be.
How did he fail in these three areas?  By not understanding just how short life is and where to place his focus.

He talked about building barns but instead he had a burial.

He said he had many years but God said "this night."

He thought he was wise, but God said he was a fool.

Let's learn from his mistakes and bring our life into proper focus. 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity (1)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God -Matthew 5:8

Purity is not innocence- it is much more than that. Purity is the result of continued spiritual harmony with God. We have to grow in purity. Our life with God may be right and our inner purity unblemished, yet occasionally our outer life may become spotted and stained. God intentionally does not protect us from this possibility, because this is the way we recognize the necessity of maintaining our spiritual vision through personal purity. If the outer level of our spiritual life with God is impaired to the slightest degree, we must put everything else aside until we make it right. Remember that spiritual vision depends on our character- it is "the pure in heart " who "see God."

God makes us pure by an act of His sovereign grace, but we still have something that we must carefully watch. It is through our bodily life coming in contact with other people and other points of view that we tend to become tarnished. Not only must our "inner sanctuary" be kept right with God, but also the "outer courts" must be brought into perfect harmony with the purity God gives us through His grace. Our spiritual vision and understanding is immediately blurred when our "outer court" is stained. If we want to maintain personal intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean refusing to do or even think certain things. And some things that are acceptable for others will become unacceptable for us.

A practical help in keeping your personal purity unblemished in your relations with other people is to begin to see them as God does. Say to yourself, "That man or that woman is perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend or that relative is perfect in Christ Jesus!"

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Hearing the Voice of God - Even on the Job
By Os Hillman

March 27



"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 be troubled when he heard Christians say, "The Lord told me . . . " He certainly had never heard God speak to him like that. "What is different about those people and me?" he wondered. In the book of John, Tom had read that Jesus had said that His sheep hear His voice, but he didn't understand how they could do that. His pursuit to answer that question began his quest to discover how to hear God's voice himself.

Today, Tom realizes that God does speak and that we, as His children, can hear His voice. He has discovered how to hear God's words of guidance in his daily life, which includes the day-to-day operations of his business, and he is teaching others how to hear God's voice as well.

A friend of mine told me a story about an experience he had in Israel that demonstrates how sheep know their shepherd's voice. He and his wife were visiting some of the famous biblical sites when they saw a group of shepherds and their flocks. They watched as three different shepherds put their sheep in the same pen for the night, and they wondered how in the world the shepherds would separate their sheep the next day, since none of them had any identifying marks on them.

My friend got up early the next morning to watch the shepherds gather their sheep. The first shepherd went over to the pen and called out to his sheep. One by one, his sheep (and only his sheep) filed out to follow him. The same thing happened with the other two shepherds. My friend said it was amazing to watch how only the shepherd's sheep followed him while the others remained in the pen--and all because they recognized his voice. What a picture of Jesus' words spoken centuries earlier.

Ask God to help you hear the voice of God--even on the job.

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
Secrets of the Kingdom Economy

You and I are living in the days of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about when he taught us to pray by saying "Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done!" The Kingdom is here. When we function by the principles of this Kingdom in our day to day lives, we will function on a higher level of anointing and productivity. Living in this Kingdom means living by the principles of the Kingdom Economy. In this book, discover secrets that will cause you to flourish in this Kingdom Economy. These secrets will move you from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Also available as an eBook or as an audio book.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 28, 2009

I'm Innocent!
READ: James 1:19-25
Be doers of the Word. -James 1:22

All of the students at a school in Florida-2,550 in total-were in trouble. A message system notified every parent that their child (or children) had detention that weekend for bad behavior. Many kids pleaded their innocence, yet some parents meted out punishment anyway. One mother, Amy, admitted that she yelled at her son and made sure he showed up for his detention on Saturday.

To the relief of 2,534 kids, and to the embarrassment of some parents, they discovered that the automated message was sent in error to the entire student body when only 16 kids actually deserved detention! Amy felt so bad about not listening to and believing her son that she took him out for breakfast that Saturday morning.

We all have stories to tell about circumstances that have shown us our need to listen before we speak. We're naturally tempted to come to quick judgments and react angrily. The book of James gives us these three practical exhortations to deal with life's stressful situations: "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19).

In life's stresses, let's be "doers of the Word" (v.22), and take the time to listen and show restraint with our words and anger today.  - Anne Cetas

A judgment made without the facts
Is sure to be unfair,
So always listen to both sides-
You'll find the answer there. -Branon


Listen to understand, then speak with love.

Who Made the Sun Shine?

Look again at Luke 12:16-21,

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Take a look at the few words that this man spoke.  In his short declaration, he uses the word I six times and the word my five times!

His perspective was a very selfish one.

Here are a few questions to ponder:

·        Who gave the rain that made his crops grow?
·        Who made the soil out of which his crops grew?
·        Who made the seed he planted?
·        Who caused the sun to shine?
·        Who gave him the physical strength to work the field?
·        Who gave him his soul? 

The answer to all of those is God. Yet he makes no acknowledgement of God in his speech, planning, or giving.  He should have been thanking God for all His blessings and asking the Lord what He wanted done with His things.

Be faithful to acknowledge God and to ask Him what to do with His resources over which you are a steward. 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

Hearing the Voice of God - Even on the Job
By Os Hillman

"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 be troubled when he heard Christians say, "The Lord told me . . . " He certainly had never heard God speak to him like that. "What is different about those people and me?" he wondered. In the book of John, Tom had read that Jesus had said that His sheep hear His voice, but he didn't understand how they could do that. His pursuit to answer that question began his quest to discover how to hear God's voice himself.

Today, Tom realizes that God does speak and that we, as His children, can hear His voice. He has discovered how to hear God's words of guidance in his daily life, which includes the day-to-day operations of his business, and he is teaching others how to hear God's voice as well.

A friend of mine told me a story about an experience he had in Israel that demonstrates how sheep know their shepherd's voice. He and his wife were visiting some of the famous biblical sites when they saw a group of shepherds and their flocks. They watched as three different shepherds put their sheep in the same pen for the night, and they wondered how in the world the shepherds would separate their sheep the next day, since none of them had any identifying marks on them.

My friend got up early the next morning to watch the shepherds gather their sheep. The first shepherd went over to the pen and called out to his sheep. One by one, his sheep (and only his sheep) filed out to follow him. The same thing happened with the other two shepherds. My friend said it was amazing to watch how only the shepherd's sheep followed him while the others remained in the pen--and all because they recognized his voice. What a picture of Jesus' words spoken centuries earlier.

Ask God to help you hear the voice of God--even on the job.

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Secrets of the Kingdom Economy
Secrets of the Kingdom Economy

You and I are living in the days of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about when he taught us to pray by saying "Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done!" The Kingdom is here. When we function by the principles of this Kingdom in our day to day lives, we will function on a higher level of anointing and productivity. Living in this Kingdom means living by the principles of the Kingdom Economy. In this book, discover secrets that will cause you to flourish in this Kingdom Economy. These secrets will move you from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Also available as an eBook or as an audio book.

Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity (2)
Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place . . . -Revelation 4:1

A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be achieved through the higher practice of personal character. If you live up to the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will continually say to you, "Friend, come up even higher." There is also a continuing rule in temptation which calls you to go higher; but when you do, you only encounter other temptations and character traits. Both God and Satan use the strategy of elevation, but Satan uses it in temptation, and the effect is quite different. When the devil elevates you to a certain place, he causes you to fasten your idea of what holiness is far beyond what flesh and blood could ever bear or achieve. Your life becomes a spiritual acrobatic performance high atop a steeple. You cling to it, trying to maintain your balance and daring not to move. But when God elevates you by His grace into heavenly places, you find a vast plateau where you can move about with ease.

Compare this week in your spiritual life with the same week last year to see how God has called you to a higher level. We have all been brought to see from a higher viewpoint. Never allow God to show you a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to, applying it to your life. Always work through it, staying in its light.

Your growth in grace is not measured by the fact that you haven't turned back, but that you have an insight and understanding into where you are spiritually. Have you heard God say, "Come up higher," not audibly on the outer level, but to the innermost part of your character?

"Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing . . . ?" (Genesis 18:17  ). God has to hide from us what He does, until, due to the growth of our personal character, we get to the level where He is then able to reveal it.

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals March 29, 2009

Resolve
READ: Romans 14:1-13
Resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. -Romans 14:13

I once decorated a notebook with definitions of the words idea, thought, opinion, preference, belief, and conviction to remind myself that they do not mean the same thing. The temptation to elevate an opinion to the level of a conviction can be strong, but doing so is wrong, as we learn from Romans 14.
In the first century, religious traditions based on the law were so important to religious leaders that they failed to recognize the One who personified the law, Jesus. They were so focused on minor matters that they neglected the important ones (Matt. 23:23).
Scripture says that we need to subjugate even our beliefs and convictions to the law of love (Rom. 13:8,10; Gal. 5:14; James 2:, for love fulfills the law and leads to peace and mutual edification.
When opinions and preferences become more important to us than what God says is valuable to Him, we have made idols out of our own beliefs. Idolatry is a serious offense because it violates the first and most important command: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex. 20:3).
Let's resolve not to elevate our own opinions above God's, lest they become a stumbling block and keep others from knowing the love of Jesus.  - Julie Ackerman Link
A Prayer
Lord, help me not to elevate my opinions and
make others follow. You are the convicter of hearts.
May others learn of Your love through me.


The greatest force on earth is not the compulsion of law but the compassion of love.




  Let God Do His Job


Philippians 2:8-11 shows us how humility precedes honor,
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
If God's good pleasure and His plan are to be worked out in our lives, we must walk in humility.  It is a prerequisite for us to pass the test of humility.  As we see here, because Jesus humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him.  And at that point, no demon in hell could do a thing to prevent it.
When God promotes you, no person, no demon, no ungodly system can hold you back.  God's exalting power is irresistible.  It is undeniable, and it is undefeatable.
But a humble heart must come first.  It has been said that no man stands taller than when he is on his knees before God.  Let us humble ourselves and be obedient to God in every area of our lives.  If we will lower ourselves, God will lift us.  God's job is to exalt us, and our job is to humble ourselves.  If we try to do God's job for Him, He will have to do our job for us. 
Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

Becoming the Head
By Os Hillman

"The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom" (Deut 28:13-14).


Coca-Cola, at this time of writing, has a 40% market share in the soft drink industry. It is the number one brand in the world. When Coke comes into a business environment, they have authority in that realm. They have great respect because of their position in business.
George Barna, the U.S. Christian researcher on Christian activity tells us that 35-45% of the U.S. population is born again. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in the year 2005, there were 149 million adult workers. Simply multiplying this figure by 40% would give you a figure of 59 million Christian adult workers. If this is so, why aren't we having more impact?
I would have to say the body of Christ in America is not the head, but is still the tail. Part of the reason for this is that we have not understood our biblical mandate to have dominion on the earth as was modeled in Genesis with Adam and Eve. When Jesus returned to earth He came to save that which was lost and restore this principle of dominion (Luke 19:10). When Jesus prayed in the Lord's prayer: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:9-10), He was praying that His dominion would be restored on earth just as it is in Heaven.
However, we have given over this leadership to the ungodly in our societies. In order to restore this we must win the battle in seven key domains in society. These include 1) business, 2) government, 3) education, 4) arts and entertainment, 5) religion, 6) media and 7) the family.
This begins by affirming the calling of men and women in the workplace as having a holy calling. Realize that whatever work you are doing, God has called you to express His life in that arena in order to have His dominion over the earth.
Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.

Our Lord's Surprise Visits
You also be ready . . . -Luke 12:40
A Christian worker's greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him.
Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical situations. The only way a servant can remain true to God is to be ready for the Lord's surprise visits. This readiness will not be brought about by service, but through intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike wonder He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle-we must be spiritually real.
If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today's world, and instead are "looking unto Jesus" ( Hebrews 12:2  ), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer. But when He suddenly appears in the work of the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. You should trust no one, and even ignore the finest saint on earth if he blocks your sight of Jesus Christ.

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals April, 2009

Servant-Friendship
READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. -1 Thessalonians 2:7

Don Tack wanted to know what life was like for homeless people. So he concealed his identity and went to live on the streets of his city. He found out that food and shelter were offered by many organizations. At one shelter he could spend the night if he listened to a sermon beforehand. He appreciated the guest speaker's message and wanted to talk with him afterward. But as Don reached out to shake the man's hand and asked if he could talk with him, the speaker walked right past him as if he didn't exist.

Don learned that what was missing most in ministry to the homeless in his area were people who were willing to build relationships. So he began an organization called Servants Center to offer help through friendship.

What Don encountered at the shelter was the opposite of what the people who heard the apostle Paul experienced. When he shared the gospel, he gave himself too. He testified in his letter to the Thessalonians, "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us" (1 Thess. 2:. He said, "We were gentle among you," like a mother (v.7).

In our service for the Lord, do we share not just our words or money but our time and friendship?  - Anne Cetas

I want to do service for Christ while I live,
And comfort and cheer to poor lonely hearts give;
For this is the program approved by the Word,
To visit the needy and speak of the Lord. -Bosch


One measure of our likeness to Christ is our sensitivity to the suffering of others.

Not in the Abundance of Things

Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:13-15).

Life is not about things and how much "stuff" you can accumulate. Your identity and value as a person should not be based on the abundance of your possessions.

If, however, your sense of value as a person is wrapped up in your things, what happens if you lose those things?

A relative of mine from a few generations back had all of his property confiscated by the government after the Civil War.  He died a broken and bitter man.  That is the end of someone whose identity and sense of worth are tied up in their things.

This man that came to Jesus to sort out his inheritance had the real treasure in front of him all the time, but he couldn't see it because "things" were in the way.  The real treasure was his brother!

He was at odds with his brother.  There was friction and tension between them over their inheritance.  Apparently this man was willing to destroy his relationship with his brother for things!

Life does not consist in the abundance of things we possess, but in the riches of the relationships we have!

In tomorrow's devotional I want to share three relationships that make a person rich. 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

The Spiritual Life is Caught, Not Taught
By Os Hillman

"Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah" (1 Kings 19:20).

There is a man in my life who I consider my mentor. He came into my life during a crisis period and helped me understand my situation. I have learned a great deal from him. I have rarely spent more than a few hours in his presence at any one time. However, I did not learn from him through a formal arrangement. I mostly caught what I have learned. He never took me through a Bible study. He never sent me articles or things to read. I learned by being around him.

One day I had a crisis situation arise. I remembered what my mentor did in a crisis in his life. I decided to apply the same faith principle to that issue. Amazingly, a miracle occurred because I appropriated faith, just as my mentor had, to my crisis. This is what I mean by catching the faith of another. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning.

When Elijah handpicked Elisha as his successor, Elisha immediately killed his twelve set of oxen and ran after Elijah just to be with him. No doubt he knew what a great privilege it was to be selected by the great prophet. However, it was not enough for Elisha to be handpicked. He also wanted a double portion of Elijah's anointing. It appears that God answered this prayer.

If you want to grow in your Christian life, ask God to lead you to a man or woman who is far ahead of you spiritually and simply start hanging out with them. As you walk alongside them you will begin to catch what they have. You will begin appropriating the anointing that is on their lives that will mix perfectly with your unique gifting and talents.

We need more people today who are willing to run after their "Elijahs."

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Living On The Third River
Living On The Third River
This unique "quick-read" book will quite likely create a major paradigm shift in your thinking about money, convict you about your current financial outlook, and free you to live in God's abundant provision. It begins as a story of three people living along three rivers who make very different choices about the water they each manage. The water represents their money and possessions, and the meaning of the story is unmistakably clear and powerfully effective, told in a way that even a child could understand. This is an ideal resource to purchase multiple copies and share with friends, co-workers, and family. Learn More or Order 

Helpful or Heartless Toward Others?
It is Christ . . . who also makes intercession for us. . . . the Spirit . . . makes intercession for the saints . . . -Romans 8:34, 27
Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors-that Christ "always lives to make intercession" ( Hebrews 7:25  ), and that the Holy Spirit "makes intercession for the saints"? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.

Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don't worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.

Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?

GOD BLESS

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals April 2, 2009

His Part; Our Part
READ: Joshua 1:1-9
Arise, go over this Jordan . . . . I will not leave you nor forsake you. -Joshua 1:2,5

Whenever the Lord assigns us a difficult task, He gives us what we need to carry it out. John Wesley wrote, "Among the many difficulties of our early ministry, my brother Charles often said, 'If the Lord would give me wings, I'd fly.' I used to answer, 'If God bids me fly, I will trust Him for the wings.'"

Today's Scripture tells us that Joshua was thrust into a position of great responsibility. No doubt the enormity of the challenge before him made him tremble with fear. How could he ever follow such a great leader as Moses? In his own strength it would be impossible to lead the people into the Promised Land. But along with the marching orders, the Lord gave him an assuring promise: "I will not leave you nor forsake you" (Josh. 1:5). Then He said, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (v.9). Such reassurances were the backing Joshua needed.

If God has given you some special work to do that frightens you, it's your responsibility to jump at it. It's up to the Lord to see you through. As you faithfully do your part, He will do His part.  - Richard De Haan

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain or plain or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I'll be what You want me to be. -Brown


Where God guides, God provides!

Three Relationships that Make Us Rich

Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:13-15).

This man came to Jesus to get him to "sort his brother out" over the inheritance, not realizing that his brother was the real treasure in his life - not the things he might inherit.

Here are three relationships that make us rich:

1.      Our relationship with God.  To know God makes you rich, no matter what material resources you may or may not have.

Some of those that the world would call rich are actually bankrupt when it comes to the most important treasure of all.

2.      Our relationship with others.  People, not things, are the real treasures in life.  I can honestly say that I am a rich man.  I have family and friends that I love and that love me. Things lose their meaning, and serve as a very poor substitute for relationships with people.

3.      Our relationship with our own heart.  Commune with your own heart... declares the psalmist in Psalm 4:4 (KJV).

That means hold some serious communication with your heart-get acquainted with your heart.  Don't let you and your own heart be strangers!

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

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Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!

Speak to Your Mountain
By Os Hillman

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him (Mark 11:22-24).

I taught an all day training session at a church a few years ago. Several months later I received a letter from one of the participants sharing a testimony about the principle of using your authority to speak to your mountain in your workplace.

"I own a video company that shoots a variety of projects. One day, my editor discovered a videographer's worst nightmare - a garbled mess of video picture and little or no audio on tapes that I had shot the weekend before. Four tapes of raw footage from two separate events were ruined.

I prayed that God would restore my tapes. I got an odd sense of peace and knew God had answered my prayer. I relayed to the group that I believed God had told me that the tapes would be fine in a day. My associate challenged me to put in the tape anyway and not wait. I put a tape in the editing deck, and right before our eyes, the tape now had a perfectly clear picture and audio where there had been no sound moments before.

The next morning, I entered my editing room with great anticipation. I put in one of the remaining damaged tapes that contained footage from a wedding, but the video was still scrambled and there was no audio. My wife heard me and came in to look over my shoulder. I prayed out loud over the ruined footage and reassured my wife that God loves us and would take care of things. I kept praying as I watched the screen.

Then suddenly, before our eyes, the tape began to clear up. Just as the pastor announced how God intimately loves us, I turned to look at my wife and saw the tears streaming down her face. Apparently, God had rigged this moment to touch her deeply on issues that only the two of them knew about. Not only did God save my business, but He also ministered to my family through this crisis-fixing miracle."

What type of mountain might God want you to speak to today?

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.


Living On The Third River
Living On The Third River
This unique "quick-read" book will quite likely create a major paradigm shift in your thinking about money, convict you about your current financial outlook, and free you to live in God's abundant provision. It begins as a story of three people living along three rivers who make very different choices about the water they each manage. The water represents their money and possessions, and the meaning of the story is unmistakably clear and powerfully effective, told in a way that even a child could understand. This is an ideal resource to purchase multiple copies and share with friends, co-workers, and family. Learn More or Order 

The Glory That's Unsurpassed
READ:
. . . the Lord Jesus . . . has sent me that you may receive your sight . . . -Acts 9:17
When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ- "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" ( 1 Corinthians 2:2  ). Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and soul except the face of Jesus Christ.

We must learn to maintain a strong degree of character in our lives, even to the level that has been revealed in our vision of Jesus Christ.

The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others. The overruling passion of his life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you get the feeling that he is truly a man after God's own heart (see Acts 13:22  ).

Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you. Since mine eyes have looked on Jesus, I've lost sight of all beside, So enchained my spirit's vision, Gazing on the Crucified.


GOD BLESS